


Line One

by keefling



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dirty Talk, First Dates, Injury Recovery, Kissing, M/M, Masturbation, Minor Injuries, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Pining, Porn Watching, Sexual Fantasy, Strangers to Lovers, Trans Male Character, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-20 10:59:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16554500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keefling/pseuds/keefling
Summary: “Welcome to Silvertongue Services, your premium choice for long-distance intimacy.  We have a fantastic selection of girls—and guys!—who are ready to chat live with you right now.  You must be 18 or older to continue.  If you have a membership, press 1.  If you are a new caller, stay on the line.”Or, the sex hotline operator AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Much thanks to Pepper for the original idea and the Widomauk server for the inspiration to turn it into a fic. I am _very_ excited to write this and I plan to update frequently!

_“Welcome to Silvertongue Services, your premium choice for long-distance intimacy.  We have a fantastic selection of girls—and guys!—who are ready to chat live with you right now.  You must be 18 or older to continue.  If you have a membership, press 1.  If you are a new caller, stay on the line.”_

Molly passed his credit card nervously between his fingers as he waited.  He had been living in Chicago for less than a month and he was already homesick for the west coast.  Being two hours ahead of his friends almost felt more alienating than the distance, especially on New Years Eve.  His credit card was due to expire at midnight, so without the fear of it being stolen by a random service he had gotten from a porn website, Molly had done the logical thing and called a sex hotline.  He went through multiple menus, entering information about himself and the kind of companion he desired.

_“Please enter your credit card number, followed by the pound sign.”_

Molly typed in the digits and paused.  Gods, he was really doing this. The idea had sounded fun; there was a certain mystery around sex hotlines kindled years ago by late night television advertisements he had seen when he was far too young, and he would be lying to himself if he said that he was not nervous.  But Mollymauk Tealeaf would not get cold feet. He hit pound just to prove to himself that he could.

_“All of our operators are currently busy.  Please wait for the next available operator.“_

Molly flinched and held the phone away from his ear as sudden porn groove music blasted from the speaker.  He sighed.  Well, there went his plan for the evening.  Molly was about to hang up when the music stopped and he heard a voice at the other end of the line.

“ _Hallo?_ ” said a man’s voice.  The breath that followed confirmed that it was a real person and not a recording.

“Hello, darling,” Molly purred into the receiver.  “My name’s Molly.  With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

He heard soft laughter.  “Ah, aren’t you charming, Molly?  My name is Colby.  Is this your first time calling?”

“Yeah,” Molly said, relaxing a little from the man’s friendly introduction.  “To be honest, I wasn’t sure hotlines like this were still around.”

“Oh, _ja,_ ” Colby confirmed.  “Even though most people prefer the internet, we are still very busy.”

“Well, I’m glad you could make time for me in your very busy schedule, Colby.”

Colby giggled.  Gods, he sounded cute and his German accent made the back of Molly’s neck tingle.

“I’m feeling awfully lonely tonight,” Molly confessed.  “Can you help me with that, darling?”

“Of course, baby.  That is what I am here for.  Sit back, relax, and let me take care of you, _ja?_ ”

“Oh?  What are you gonna do to me, love?”  Molly flopped back on the couch in the living room of his apartment.  He was shirtless and wearing only a pair of loose boxers.

“Anything you want, baby.  Ah, um, is there anything you do not want me to do to you, Molly?”

“No, darling, as long as you don’t call me Daddy, I’m all yours tonight.”

He heard soft laughter.  “Mmm, how exciting,” purred Colby.  Molly shivered. His excitement was rising and he felt his cock twitch with interest against his thigh.  “I start by touching your chest. Do you like your nipples played with, Molly?”

“Fuck, yeah, that sounds great.”

“Imagine my fingers on your skin, lightly teasing my fingertips over your nipples.  Ah, they are getting hard, ja?”

“Mhmm,” Molly whimpered.  He put the phone on speaker so he could splay both hands over his chest.  His nipples were, in fact, getting hard, and he sighed when he grazed his fingertips over them.

“Imagine my breath against your skin while I kiss your chest.  I am swirling my tongue around your nipples now.  You have worked hard today, _ja?_  I can taste the sweat on your skin.”

Molly grinned.  This was going to be better than he had imagined.  He licked his fingers and rolled his nipples between them while he drank in this mystery man’s husky voice.

“Mmm, yeah?  You wanna suck on my tits, Colby?”  Molly bowed his head and pushed his pectoral muscle up, craning his neck just enough to reach his nipple with his tongue.  He flicked the forked tip over the sensitive bud, setting off sparks in his core.

“Mmm, _ja,_ I suck on your nipple while I pinch the other with my fingers.  Do you like a little pain, Molly?”

“Yes, oh, fuck, yes,” Molly gasped, roughly twisting his nipples.

“Good, because I start to suck harder, using my teeth to tug on your perfect little tits.”

Molly was trying to get into the fantasy but without seeing the man’s face, he had trouble conjuring an image in his mind.  “Mmh, hey, Colby?” he asked.

“ _Ja?_ What is it, Molly?”

“As much as I wish you were here with me, I want you to tell me what to do to myself,” Molly said.  “Can you do that, sweetheart?”

“Of course, baby.  Listen carefully, okay?  You are touching your nipples already, _ja?_  I want you to squeeze them.  Do it as hard or as soft as you want—I want you to be comfortable.”

Molly dug his nails into the tender skin and sucked in a loud breath.  Colby chuckled that sweet, syrupy laugh that Molly was quickly beginning to love.

“You sound so sexy when you make little noises like that.”

“Yeah?” breathed Molly, getting high off the praise.  He pushed his boxers down a little and took out his half-hard cock.  He wrapped his fingers around it and began to stroke it slowly.

“ _Ja,_ absolutely.  Where else do you like to be touched?”

“Hmm, how about my cock?”

“You are already touching yourself, aren’t you?  You have been touching yourself this whole time.”

“No,” said Molly.  “I just—I just started to.  I’m pretending it’s your hand around my cock.”

“Mm, okay, so I am stroking your hard cock.  It has been so long since I held such a big cock.  I can feel you throbbing in my hands—”

“Ooh, Colby, keep that up and I’m gonna cum,” Molly said in his most sultry voice.  He might be putting on a bit of a show, but it was worth it for the compliments.

“Ah, already?  You must be so pent up, baby.”

“Yes, fuck—you sound so hot, Colby.  I can’t help myself.”

“Mmm.  Do you want to cum, Molly?”

“Yes, fuck, Colby, I want to.  Fuck, _please._ ”

“Stop touching yourself,” Colby said, suddenly.

“What?” Molly could not have heard that right.  He moved the phone closer to his ear.

“Stop touching yourself, Molly.”

Molly startled himself with how loud he whined.  “But—”

“ _Nein._  I do not think you deserve to cum yet,” Colby said.  His voice had taken on a commanding tone that sent a violent shiver down Molly’s spine.  Combined with that thick German accent, whoever Molly was talking to had him by the balls, literally and figuratively.

“I’ve stopped,” Molly grumbled, letting his hand fall to his stomach as he awaited Colby’s next instruction.

“That’s a good boy.  You said you wanted me to tell you what to do, _ja?_  I did not tell you to touch, so you will not touch your cock again until you apologize for starting without permission.”

“I’m sorry,” Molly murmured, sheepishly.  Somehow, he felt as guilty as he was desperate.

“Sorry for what?”

“Sorry for touching myself without permission.  I won’t do it again, darling, I promise.”

“Thank you, Molly.  Now, wIll you rub the head of your cock for me?  I want you to get your fingers nice and wet with pre.”

“Gods, Colby, there’s so much,” Molly said, rubbing his palm in circles and coating his fingers with his sticky precum.

“Mmm, I bet you will cum a lot, then,” Colby said.

“I always do, sweetheart.  I wish you could see me.”

“I am imagining it, if that helps.”

“Fuck, you’re thinking about me?”

“I have a very charming man with a big cock at my mercy.  How could I not be?”

Molly chuckled.  “I bet you say that to all your clients.”

“Maybe.  But that does not make it untrue.”

There was a moment of silence where Molly worried that he had said too much.  “So,” he started, clearing his throat, “you were saying?”

“Um, I was saying that you should tease your cock for me.  Wrap your fingers around yourself and go slowly.  Let them slide easily over your length.  Get it nice and wet.”

Molly did, and he moaned.  He was so aroused from the conversation, from taking orders from a complete stranger, that his cock throbbed with need and his balls felt heavy.

“Mmm, that’s it, baby.  A little faster, now.  Let me hear you.”

Molly’s head rolled back as he gripped his cock and properly jerked himself off.  He tweaked his nipple with his free hand, remembering what Colby said about sucking on them.  He closed his eyes and let little moans and sighs escape his lips, just for Colby.

“I’m close,” Molly panted, bouncing his hips and thrusting into his fist.  “Fuck, Colby, can I cum, now? Please, please let me cum.”

“Ah, you are so polite, Molly.  Since you asked so nicely, _ja,_ you may cum.”

Molly came with a wail, arching his back off the couch and shooting streams of white into the air.  Cum splashed onto his stomach and thighs, making a complete mess of himself before he was done.  Molly sank into the couch, speechless while he caught his breath.

“Mmm, baby, you sound so pretty when you cum,” Colby said.

“Are you touching yourself, too?” Molly asked.  “Be honest.”

“ _Nein,_ not yet.  I still have work to do, but this is one call that I will file away for later and think about before I sleep tonight.”

A satisfied smirk crept across Molly’s face.  “Do you usually do that? Think of a caller when you masturbate?”

“Not always,” answered Colby.  “Only when one is especially good.”

“Well, then I’m flattered,” Molly said.  Whoever this person was could jerk off to the thought of him all they liked.  Molly wondered what Colby would sound like, all breathy and desperate, but he knew his time was almost up.

“Did you have fun tonight, Molly?” Colby asked.

“Oh, gods, yes,” Molly answered truthfully.  “You’re very sweet, Colby.  Thank you for taking care of me.”

“You are welcome.  You are very charming and fun to talk to as well.”

“Th-thanks.  I’m gonna hang up now.  Is that….um, sorry, I’ve never ended one of these calls before.”

“It is okay,” Colby laughed.  “Have a good night, Molly.”

“Yeah, you too.  Happy new year, Colby.”

Molly tapped _end call_ and stared at his phone in silence.  He grabbed the rag he had on hand for this occasion and cleaned himself off before heading to the shower, where he lost track of time.  By the time he was dry and in bed, it was just past 2 A.M.—or midnight, western standard time.

Molly grabbed his phone and typed a message to the group chat with his friends from home.

_(02:11 A.M.) Mollymauk: u guys will not BELIEVE what I did tonight ;)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: there is a very brief scene in this chapter involving unwanted verbal degradation from a nameless character, and is resolved later in the chapter.

Molly missed his friends dearly.

At first, he chatted to Jester daily.  She would tell him about funny encounters at the bakery and he loved to hear about the eccentric people she thought he would get along with.  She was always eager to listen to him talk about the theater or tell stories about his life in “the big city.” He loved her bubbly laugh and limitless energy, but hearing her talk about home just made him miss being there even more.

There were some, like Yasha, who had trouble keeping in touch out of person.  She always seemed happy to hear from him, but they would run out of things to talk about until one of them dropped the conversation.  He was disappointed to learn that he did not have as much in common with Beau or Fjord when they were not together with the group, so he often hesitated to talk to them first.

Molly was forced to take back his vow of never returning to Facebook after high school.  He loathed the culture around social media that tricked people into thinking that they were making social connections with people they never talk to just by liking a post someone shared.  But now, Molly checked his page daily to do just that, to keep up with his friends’ lives when they were all too busy to organize a Skype call, which was increasingly often.

Yes, Molly loved to see Jester’s magazine-worthy photos of sweets, Beau’s adorable black lab puppy, the deep sea creatures at Fjord’s aquarium job and Yasha’s cryptic yet beautiful aesthetic posts.  But his feed was cluttered with so much extra junk that sometimes he would close the page before he could look at everything.

Perhaps Molly’s most hated thing about Facebook was its “people you may know” feature.  Names and faces of people he had known in high school often appeared on his screen, people he had not friended for good reasons.  There was one suggestion, however, that made Molly stop scrolling.

The face of Caleb Widogast looked back at him.  His head was turned slightly upwards to show off his fuzzy jaw and his intense, blue eyes stared directly into the camera.  That was all Molly could make out from the little square photo.  He exhaled the breath he had been holding and realized just how quickly his heart was beating.  Caleb had been a huge crush in high school, but he had never seemed to notice Molly.

They had one class together in junior year when Caleb had gone by a different name, but they had rarely talked outside of working on a science project together.  Caleb had carried Molly through the project, only because he had been so much smarter and more eloquent while Molly’s ADHD had made it difficult to pay attention in class.  Caleb had probably thought Molly was stupid, and Molly had not blamed him.

Caleb had begun senior year with a scruffy red beard on a masculine jaw and that was when Molly had officially met Caleb Widogast.  Caleb had traded in his cute-patterned blouses for neutral colored sweaters and his skinny jeans for khaki slacks. He had been shockingly handsome and made Molly’s heart flutter whenever he had walked by.

Molly recalled the time when he had tried to flirt with Caleb after school.  Caleb’s eyes had grown wide with fear, had mumbled something about being late and had run away.  Molly had since realized why—Molly was popular, charismatic and loud, while Caleb was the opposite in every way.  Maybe Caleb got tongue tied, or perhaps he had thought Molly was leading him on only to embarrass him later.  Either way, Molly had never tried again.

Molly hovered over the link to Caleb’s Facebook profile for a few minutes before he leaned back and rubbed his eyes.  Caleb had not cared for him back then, and Molly refused to be one of those people who stalked their crushes for years after they both had graduated.  He hoped Caleb was happy where he was and who he was with.  He closed his laptop and decided to call it a night.

* * *

Molly was quick to form friendships at the theater.  He appreciated the open nature of artsy types who, like him, allowed themselves to be vulnerable in front of others, sometimes to the point of oversharing things about themselves that people in other professions did not.  He felt like he belonged there in a way that he never had in any of the places he had worked at previously.  He looked forward to going, but at the end of the day he dreaded leaving to go back to his lonely apartment.

Molly knew that he should find friends outside of work and explore the Chicago nightlife, but he felt that no one could compare to his friends back home.  It was stupid, he thought as he parked his car and made his way inside.  How long would he continue his inner tantrum? He longed to be out dining or dancing but the thought of going to a club by himself felt even sadder than he did while moping on his couch.  He pulled his phone out and sent a message to Jester.

 _(7:18 P.M.) Mollymauk: jester i need your expert opinion_  
_(7:18 P.M.) Mollymauk: pizza or thai food_ _  
_ (7:19 P.M.) Mollymauk: please jes this is an emergency

When she did not reply, Molly sighed and set the phone down.  He was halfway to the kitchen when he heart the phone buzz.

 _(07:35 P.M.) Jester: pizza DUH_  
_(07:36 P.M.) Mollymauk: gods bless you i was about to eat cold spaghetti out of the tupperware_  
_(07:36 P.M.) Mollymauk: i owe you one_  
_(07:37 P.M.) Jester: guess what I’m doing tonite Molly_  
_(07:37 P.M.) Jester: I’m going on a DATE with FJORD!!!!!!_  
_(07:37 P.M.) Jester: he finally said yes and we are going to see a movie!!!_  
_(07:37 P.M.) Mollymauk: ooooh get it girl ;)_  
_(07:37 P.M.) Mollymauk: its about damn time_  
_(07:38 P.M.) Jester: ugh tell me about it!!!!!!! he is so dense but he has a cute butt so I will forgive him_  
_(07:38 P.M.) Jester: i have to go now but promise to tell you alllll about it when i get back!!!_ _  
_ (07:39 P.M.) Mollymauk: ok love u jes please stay safe x

Molly looked down at his phone with a soft smile.  He was happy to see her so excited; Jester had been trying to get Fjord’s attention since last Spring.  He was proud of Fjord, too, for pulling his head out of the ground long enough to see what a precious gem Jester was.  They both deserved the best but Molly vowed that he would fly back California just to strangle Fjord with his bare hands if he ever hurt her.

The pleasant effects of the good news lasted about as long as it took Molly to finish his pizza.  The empty box on the kitchen counter felt like a metaphor, although Molly was not sure what it was trying to tell him.   _“Stop sulking and go get yourself a man with a butt like Fjord’s,”_ perhaps.

Molly showered off the day’s sweat and sat on the bed with his laptop on his knees.  He opened an incognito tab and began browsing porn.  He was not particularly horny, but the infinite amount of internet porn was an excellent time waster.  Molly liked to take his time and would watch just about anything until he found something that really hit the spot. Tonight, that was a home made video, a first person perspective from a guy with a big dick who had another man on his knees, looking up at him.  The man whose face he could see was moderately attractive—he had greasy hair and pimples on his cheeks but that was how Molly knew it was real.

Molly’s dick was fully hard before he gave in and started touching himself.  He wet his finger and rubbed up and down the underside of his length while he watched the man in the video lick slowly from balls to tip.  He gathered the precum that was collecting on his belly to coat his length, curled his fingers around it in a loose fist and began to jerk himself off.  Molly gripped himself harder when the man in the video took the first person’s dick in his hand, copying his movements and matching the slick sound of skin on skin.

Molly’s cock throbbed when the man put his lips around the first person’s dick and swallowed it down to the base.  He moaned in time with the man, feeling pleasure building inside his core.  He watched the man’s eyelids flutter closed and his cheeks hollow and listened to the first person’s heavy breathing.  The man on his knees looked like he was enjoying himself, which turned Molly on even more. Porn without feeling did nothing for him, so Molly liked to imagine that the two were in love or at least good friends who trusted each other.

When Molly was close, he slowed down and allowed the bubbling heat in his belly to settle before speeding up again.  Molly had proven before that he could and would edge for hours, but his body was tired and his mind was overwhelmed by the demanding urge to cum.  Between the labored breaths, throaty moans and obscene suckling noises in the video, Molly could follow along with his eyes closed.  He set the laptop on the bed so he could fuck his fist, feeling his orgasm approaching as the first person in the video started whimpering.  Molly gritted his teeth, sucked in a breath and held it—but just before he peaked, the video cut out.

“Fuck!” Molly hissed.  His eyes snapped open and he glared at the _replay_ button.  Dammit, he had become so invested in seeing what that guy—that cockblocking _asshole—_ looked like with cum all over his face.  Molly still held his cock but the motivation to finish had fizzled out, leaving him frustrated and annoyed.

Molly rolled over, facing away from his laptop that he regarded like a lover that he would banish the couch until Molly finished his silent tantrum.  He checked his phone but there was no word from Jester.  It was a good sign—it meant she was having a better night than he was. He opened and closed random apps with no real purpose other than to pass the time before he fell asleep, but paused while scrolling through his recent calls.  The number for the hotline stood out with its 1-800 prefix.  He wondered what Colby was doing right now.  Maybe he was talking dirty to some random pervert across the country.  Maybe he had moved on from the service.  It was unlikely that Molly would reach Colby even if he called, but his loneliness got the better of him.  He pressed the number and put the phone on speaker.

Molly navigated through the menus, disappointed that he could not just ask someone to connect him to the Hot German One.  His heartbeat sped up when he finally reached a real person.

“Hey baby doll,” he heard a deep, gruff voice say.  Molly could not put his finger on it, but the way the man said it made his skin crawl.

“Hello—”

“How do you want it, slut?  You want me to slap that ugly face of yours, don’t you?  Yeah you do, you fucking nasty pervert.”

“Um, hi, I’m Mol—”

“Shut the fuck up.  Did I say you could talk to me?  I’m gonna shove fat my cock so deep down your throat that you’ll—”

Molly slammed the pound button to end the call.  He stared off into space with his mouth hanging open.  “What the actual fuck,” he whispered.  Molly was down for dirty talk, but being degraded before he could say hello was so off putting that he hesitated before trying again.

The next person he reached did not say anything.

“Hello?” Molly tried, but all he heard was heavy breathing.  He listened as the breathing got louder and whoever was on the other end started grunting.  He heard what sounded like a woman’s voice in the background and he quickly figured out that he was listening to two people having sex.  He pressed pound again.  This was not going well.

The next voice he heard made Molly’s heart nearly jump out of his chest.

“ _Hallo?_ ”

It was Colby.  It was definitely, one-hundred percent Colby, the sweet man Molly had spoken with the first time he had called.  His face grew hot and he struggled to speak.

“H-hello,” he said, his voice cracking.  “This is, um—I don’t know if you’d remember me, but uh, I’m Molly.  This—this is Colby, yeah?”

“ _Ja_ , it is me.  I do remember you, Molly.  How are you tonight?”

“Gods, I never thought I’d be so glad to hear your voice,” Molly said, laughing nervously.  It was total bullshit; the whole point of calling was to hear Colby’s voice.  “Not to criticize your company or anything, but first person I talked to?  Complete weirdo—and that’s coming from someone who’s calling a sex hotline.”

He heard Colby giggle and Molly’s heart melted a little.  “No judgments here, Molly.  And _ja,_ It is hit or miss sometimes.  But I am glad they did not scare you off.”

“Almost,” Molly admitted, relaxing as he eased into the conversation.  “You were so nice to me last time, so I thought I would keep trying.”

“Aww, you are sweet, Molly,” said Colby.  It was probably Molly’s imagination, but Colby sounded like he was smiling.  “If it makes you feel any better, I do not always get the most pleasant callers, either.”

“Hmm, no, it doesn’t,” said Molly.  “But I can imagine.  You guys must have some wild stories to tell.”

Colby laughed.  “ _Ja,_ but I cannot disclose things about other callers.”

“I know, sweetheart.  And,” Molly swallowed hard, “that isn’t why I called.”

“Hmm?  Then why did you call, Molly?”

“Oh, come on, you know why,” Molly said, shyly, feeling the back of his neck prickle.  “You took such good care of me last time.  Won’t you do so again?”

“Of course,” Colby said, his voice dipping low.  “Just tell me what you need, baby.  I am all yours.”

Molly paused for a moment.  He thought about his porn betrayal, and said the first thing that came to mind, “I need your head between my knees.”

“Mmm.  I like a man who knows what he wants,” Colby purred.  “I get on my knees and part your legs.  I admire your cock—are you hard, Molly?”

“Fuck, yeah, I am,” Molly breathed.  He made himself comfortable on pillows propped against the headboard and spread his legs, watching his cock bob between them at the sound of Colby’s voice.

“I start by kissing your thighs,” Colby said.  “Little kisses up one side and down the other.  Can you feel my hot breath on your skin?”

“Gods, don’t tease me,” Molly whined.

“I know you do not mean that.  You strike me as someone who likes to wait.”

Molly laughed.  “Yeah, okay, you got me.  I’m touching my thighs—they’re so sensitive.  My skin feels like it’s on fire. I’m burning hot for you, Colby.”

“Pinch your thighs for me,” Colby said.  “Pretend it’s my teeth, nibbling on your skin.”

Molly pinched himself and whined.  He wanted to be bitten until he bled, but he felt like that might be too intense to say out loud.  “Fuck, Colby, can you, um, tell me what you look like? I want to picture you down there. Really helps me get off if I can imagine you.”

“Um, I have red hair?” Colby said, a little uncertainty.  “It is a little long, almost shoulder length.  I could have it tied in the back if you want?  Um, to keep it from falling in my eyes. I have blue eyes, and….I have not had time to shave so I am a little scruffy.  Sorry, I am not good at describing myself.”

“Nonsense, you sound very handsome,” Molly assured him.  Molly would not have known otherwise, but the fact that Colby had to think about it meant that he was telling the truth.

“Thanks,” Colby said, laughing self-consciously.  “I am sure you are very handsome as well, Molly.  So, um, I am kneeling at your feet, _ja?_ ”

“Mhmm, I can feel your breath against my cock.  By the way, Colby, have you ever seen a tiefling cock before?”

Colby was silent for a moment.  Molly swore he heard the tapping of keys on the other end of the line, but it was hard to tell on speaker.  He heard a little gasp and a soft hum.

“Oh, _ja,_ absolutely,” Colby said.  His voice sounded a little shaky, like he was unprepared for this conversation.  “With the ridges, _ja?_ ”

“Mhmm.  Feels good when I grip my cock real tight and fuck my fist.  Did you know they expand when I’m hard?”

There was another beat of silence before Colby replied, “I bet my mouth would feel even better than your fist.”

“Oh, fuck,” Molly groaned.  “How do you feel about my hand in your hair?”

“Mmm, _ja_ , I love it.  Use my mouth, Molly.  Grip my hair tight and take your pleasure.”

Molly snatched a bottle of lotion from his bedside table and rubbed a liberal amount onto his dick.  His fingers glided over the ridges that had fully flared out, sighing shakily as he did so.

“Wrap your lips around the head but don’t move yet,” Molly instructed.

“Okay.  I tease your slit with my tongue—gods, you taste so good, Molly.  I cannot wait to have more of you in my mouth.”

“You don’t have to wait long.  I push your head down, watching my cock disappear into your mouth.”  Molly did watch in his mind’s eye as the pretty red-haired man lowered his head.  His visage was unclear and at first, Molly only saw his purple fist tangled in Colby’s long strands of hair.

“I flick my tongue over the ridges on your cock, teasing each one as you push my head down.  I can take a big cock, you know.”

“Good thing,” Molly said, “because I push you down all the way.  I keep you there, loving the way your tongue feels on my dick.  So hot and wet, Colby—I know I won’t last long with your soft lips wrapped around my cock.”

Molly gripped himself tighter when he heard Colby moan.  With every exchange of words, Colby’s face began to solidify in Molly’s mind.  Colby would occasionally look up at Molly with impossibly blue eyes, then his eyelids would flutter closed, his thick, auburn lashes pale against his cheeks.

“I would not mind if you kept me here,” Colby said.  “Just keeping your cock warm, ready for you when you need me.”

“I need you,” Molly gasped, jerking himself faster.  “I pull your head up by your hair and push you down again.  It’s so hard not to fuck your mouth, Colby.  You’re driving me fucking mad and it’s taking all of my self-control not to shove my cock down your throat—fuck, sorry, is that too much?”

“Do you want me to stop and tell you about my gag reflex?  It would not take long, because I do not have one.  Use me however you want, Molly.  I want to swallow you whole.”

Molly bonked his skull against the headboard when he threw his head back and moaned.  “Shit.  You’re so good at this.”

“It is my job,” Colby said, plainly.  He shrugged and smiled up at Molly in his fantasy, round cheeks framed by a square jaw.  It was suddenly so easy to picture his face.

“Your job is to make me cum,” Molly corrected.  “I start fucking your mouth.  I can feel the tip of my cock hit the back of your throat, can see your cheeks hollow as you suck me hard.  I’m so close, sweetheart.  You want me to shoot down your throat, don’t you?”

“ _Ja,_ fuck, please,” Colby whined.  “I want every last drop of your cum.”

Molly bucked his hips off the bed, clenching his thigh muscles so hard that he was beginning to feel the burn.  His orgasm was rapidly approaching and he could feel his cock throbbing heavily in his hand. His speech dissolved into desperate moans and gasping breaths until his whole body went taut.

The face of Caleb Widogast was so clear that it almost looked like a video.  Molly came, shouting at the ceiling as he pumped hot cum down Caleb’s throat.  He hung suspended in time as his powerful orgasm wrung him completely dry.  He thrusted into his hand long after he stopped cumming, surrounded by the warm glow of satisfaction.  He even forgot about Colby for a moment while he watched Caleb lick his lips clean, then disappear.

“Colby,” Molly whispered when he finally caught his breath, “I came.”

“I know,” Colby said, smugly.  “You sounded like you enjoyed yourself.  I bet you came a lot.”

“Gods, so much,” Molly confirmed, dragging his fingers through the white streaks on his stomach.  His heart pounded from physical exertion and also the dawning realization that he just came to the thought of his high school crushing sucking him off.  He should not have done that, probably.  He was not sure if he should feel bad about it yet, but he knew that his conscience would weigh in on it later.

“I hope I helped you recover from your, ah….unfortunate experience with our service before.”

“More than,” Molly said.  “I would sing your praises to the heavens if I didn’t want you all to myself.”

Colby chuckled, that sweet sound that Molly adored.

“I shouldn’t keep you,” Molly said.  “But I am grateful that I could spend time with you tonight.”

“Likewise,” Colby agreed.  “It was nice talking to you again, Molly.  I hope you sleep well.”

“Don’t work too hard, yeah?”

“ _Ja,_ I won’t.  Good night, Molly.”

“Night, Colby.”

Molly ended the call and dropped his phone on the bed.  His limbs felt like jelly and his brain felt like mush and he was more satisfied than he had been in weeks.  He would clean himself up in the morning, he promised his body when it refused to move.

Molly was sound asleep when his phone buzzed.

 _(01:55 P.M.) Jester: MOLLYYYYY_  
_(01:55 A.M.) Jester: GUESS WHO JUST HAD LITERALLY THE HOTTEST SEX_  
_(01:55 A.M.) Jester: I will give you a hint it wasn’t you_  
_(01:55 A.M.) Jester: I mean probably_  
_(01:55 A.M.) Jester: molly if you had sex tonight you legally have to tell me_  
_(01:59 A.M.) Jester: Molly are you asleep???_  
_(02:01 A.M.) Jester: I guess you’ll never know how crazy the sex was_ _  
_ (02:01 A.M.) Jester: your loss >:(


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to the Widomauk server for letting me bounce ideas off you, and to Rene for proofreading!

Molly awoke to his phone alarm blaring on the bed next to him.  When he rolled over to turn it off there were eight new messages, and he knew before reading the name that they were all from Jester.  He smiled brightly at his phone, feeling proud of his friend.

 _(07:16 A.M.) Mollymauk: morning jes sry i fell asleep_  
_(07:16 A.M.) Mollymauk: i have to go to work but i want to hear all about your sexual conquest_ _  
_ (07:16 A.M.) Mollymauk: call me tonite ok?

Molly got ready to leave and quickly checked Facebook while he finished his tea.  Jester had posted a selfie with Fjord outside the movie theater, smiling so wide her eyes were squinted.  Fjord was dressed nicely and looked a little shy with his arm around Jester’s waist.  The picture was captioned by a rainbow of hearts and winking and kissing emoji.  Molly laughed—Jester had never been subtle, he thought, so why start now?

He clicked the _like_ button and continued scrolling down the page, seeing nothing else of interest until he glanced at the “people you may know” section.  Caleb Widogast had updated his profile picture.  Without thinking, Molly went to Caleb’s page to see the full size photo.  Caleb was looking up at the camera with his hair falling in his face but not enough to hide his eyes.  Molly did not recognize the Instagram filter, if there was one, but no human’s eyes could naturally be so blue.  Caleb’s jaw was broader than Molly had ever seen it and if Molly had not known, he would have never guessed that Caleb was transgender.  Around his shoulders was a cat, striped and spotted and with golden eyes as bright as Caleb’s.  It made sense; Molly had already pegged Caleb as a cat person.

Molly caught himself grinning like a teenager fawning over his first crush.  A guilty sickness began pooling in his stomach and Molly closed the window in horror.  He should not be doing this.  He should block Caleb on Facebook and never think of him again.  But Molly could not follow through with it.  He did, in fact, momentarily forget Caleb when he realized he was 10 minutes late for work.

Molly knew that he had picked the right career when he had secured a starring role in _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead._  Sometimes he was amazed that he had even gotten a theater degree at all, but once he had found something he was passionate about, it had become much easier to focus than it had been in high school.  He had fallen into the role of Rosencrantz so quickly, had memorized his lines long before the rest of the cast, and was happy to help cue the others with their own lines.  It was easy to forget about his real world problems when he was on stage.  He felt like he belonged there and was looking forward to the mid-February premier of his very first professional pay.

The work day ended, as it always did, and Molly drove home in a haze of conflicting emotions.  Under the general malaise of feeling displaced, he felt lonely, happy, tired and content.  He had even gone to a gay bar twice in the past week.  He had been unsurprised by the number of guys who had flocked to him—Molly knew he was charming and was keen to the fact that many people wanted a turn on his tiefling dick.  He had been happy to dance and buy them all a round of drinks on payday, but was uninterested in their offers to take him home.

Molly picked up Indian food to go and eventually crashed on the couch with the TV on mute.  He fished his phone out of his pocket and checked his messages.

_(05:40 P.M.) Jester: call me as soon as you get home ok???_

The phone rang only once before Jester picked up.

“Hi, Molly!” she said.  Her bubbly energy warmed his heart through the receiver.

“Hey, Jester!  It’s great to hear your voice.”

“Yours too!  I’m so sad we don’t talk enough!  Adulting sucks.”

“Gods, tell me about it,” Molly said.  “I love the theater, but other than that I feel like I just drive around and pay for things I need but can’t afford.”

“Okay, Molly, I would love to be miserable with you but I literally cannot wait to tell you about my date.”

Molly laughed.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bum you out.  So you finally wore him down, yeah? Please, tell me all the juicy details.”

“Okay, okay, okay, so, like, you know how Fjord is kinda stoic sometimes and always acts like such a dude—you know, hiding his emotions and stuff?  At first he didn’t want to hold my hand but when the movie started he took my hand and held it like, for the rest of the night! And I was like, Fjord, it is super hard to open all my candy with one hand and he was all embarrassed and stuff.  Like, he was blushing so hard when we came out of the theater, I thought he was gonna have a heat stroke.”

“Wow, Jester, are you sure we’re talking about the same Fjord?”

“Umm, I hope so?  Do you think he was replaced by an alien?  Because when we had sex he was really good at it.  Like, he was so awkward when I went down on him but when he fucked me it was like he suddenly turned into like, a wild animal.”

“I don’t think he’s an alien, Jes.  I think you being insanely hot must’ve unlocked his inner sex god.”

“Ooooh, Molly, you think I’m hot?”

“No, darling.  I _know_ you’re hot.”

“Awww, I didn’t know!  If you stayed here we could have had a super sexy threesome.”

Molly laughed so hard he snorted.  “I’m planning a trip back home this summer.  Maybe I’ll take you up on it.”

“You think I’m kidding, Molly?  I don’t know if Fjord is into that but I’ll ask him!”

“Maybe you should wait,” Molly suggested.  “You don’t want to scare him off.”

“Hmm, good idea.  Last night he was like a little deer in a big green dude body.”

“I’m so happy for you, darling.  You are my favorite person in the world and you deserve the best.”

“Awww, thank you so much!  You are also my favorite person and—oh!  Have you found love in Chicago yet, Molly?”

Molly’s stomach felt like it had been punted off a cliff.  “No,” he said, slowly.

“Have you at least gotten laid yet?”

“No.  Well….no.  Not yet.”

“Your voice sounds weird!  You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

Molly paused and sighed.  He had not truly thought about how pathetic his situation was until he had to put it into words.  What was he going to tell her, that he was still in love with that nerdy guy who Beau had been friends with in high school?

“Molllyyyyy,” Jester stage-whispered.  “Tell me your secretssss!”

“Do you remember what I told the group chat on New Years Eve?” Molly asked, his mouth running dry.

“Umm, not really.  I might have been a little black-out drunk, just a little bit.”

Thank the gods.  Molly hoped the rest of his friends had been too fucked up to remember, too.

“I called a sex hotline—as a joke!  I mean, it was a joke at first….until it wasn’t.”

“Ooooh, Molly!” Jester squealed in delight.  “You dirty little bird.  How did it go?”

“Surprisingly well, actually.  I talked to this guy—this hot German guy.  I was curious, you know? No one talks about sex hotlines anymore.”

“I mean….duh, it’s 2018.  Why have anonymous phone sex when you can watch people do it live on the internet?”

“I know, I know.  I asked him about that, actually.  He said they were still pretty busy.”

“Wow, you mean you actually _talked_ to him?  Like, had a conversation that wasn’t about your dicks?”

“A little bit, yeah.  He’s a fantastic dirty talker, though.  I know I’m not the first person to say this but I fucking love that German accent.”

“You and me both,” Jester giggled.  “But I guess I am into cowboys now, or something.”

“Tell me you didn’t ask him to tie you up in his lasso,” Molly said, hiding his smirk behind his hand as if Jester could see.

“No, but that is a great idea, Molly!  Thank you!”

“Happy to help, dear,” Molly sighed.  He could not tell if she was joking, but Fjord would have to accept her and all of her quirks regardless.

“Okay, Molly, this is hard for me to say because I hate to hang up on you but Fjord is asking if he can call me and—”

“Shush, say no more, darling.  Go to your man.”

“Thank you, Molly!  I will call you again soon, I promise.”

“Yeah, I won’t let boring adult stuff keep us apart.  Have a good night Jester. I love you.”

“Love you too!  Byeeee!”

The thought of telling Jester about Colby had scared Molly shitless but after talking to her, he realized that he had nothing to worry about.  Jester would never judge Molly the way that he judged himself.  He got up, stuffed the takeout boxes in his over-full trash can, showered and went to bed.  Jester’s positive energy had faded and Molly was left feeling hollow and alone.

Jester was talking to Fjord right now.  They were probably laughing, being overtly sexual and sickeningly cute at the same time.  A dark shadow of jealousy settled over his heart.  He did not want Jester or Fjord, but he wanted what they had.  

 _What happened to me?_  Molly thought.  He used to have so much passion for living but since he had moved, his desire to socialize had been stamped out.  He could not remember who he had been before he had his friends.  Had he been anyone at all? And who was he supposed to be now, and how would he get there if he could barely convince himself go outside?  Molly recognized that he was spiraling downwards as his brain closed in on him from all sides.  Panic rose in his chest and suddenly, his body felt like a prison that he could not break out of it.  He thought of dying and being dead, his bad brain’s favorite subjects, followed closely by the thought of never having loved or having been loved.

 _“Do you ever think of yourself as actually dead, lying in a box with a lid on it?”_ Molly recited his lines to the audience—the bare walls and the crumbling ceiling and the dirty clothes on the floor.   _“You'd never know you were in a box, would you?  You'd wake up dead, for a start, and then where would you be, apart from inside a box?  That's the bit I don't like, frankly.  That's why I don't think of it. Because you'd be helpless, wouldn't you?”_

Molly reached for his phone and turned it over in his hands.  What a strange device, he thought, looking into the camera lense.  A piece of technology that was meant to keep people connected but itself was cold and dead, and had made him feel so apart from everyone and everything.  He turned it on and scrolled through his recent calls.

 _“I wouldn't think about it, if I were you.  You'd only get depressed,”_ Molly’s well-rehearsed lines warned him, but he was defeated by the inherent nature of trying not to think about something.

Whoever Molly was, he was not cautious.  He had often considered the consequences of his actions only after he had followed through with them.  Despite knowing this about himself, Molly did the only thing that he thought would free his mind from its box underground, and dialed the number for _Silvertongue Services._

Molly braced himself for the first few operators, recalling his unfortunate encounter that would have been right at home on a “sex line horror stories” blog.  He apologized to a man whose voice sounded too young for Molly to comfortably talk to and hung up on another who was less than friendly towards him.  He had been connected to half a dozen operators before he heard Colby’s voice greet him on the other end.

“Hey, Colby,” Molly said.

“Ah, _hallo,_ is this, um, Molly?”

“You remembered me!” Molly exclaimed as his heart swelled.

“ _Ja,_ I am getting to know your voice quite well.  I hope you did not have as much trouble with the other operators this time.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t so bad.  But I, um, called to hear your voice, Colby.”

Colby paused.  “You like the accent, then, _ja?_ ”

“It’s not just that,” Molly admitted.  “But yeah, it’s pretty hot.”

Colby laughed.  “Alright, Molly.  What can I do for you tonight?”

“I was hoping, actually….that I could do something for you.”  Molly’s heart pounded in his throat.  Of course Colby was going to say no, but Molly’s dumb mouth kept talking.

“Ah, what do you mean?” Colby said, sounding hesitant but curious.

“I want….if you want to, um, I would like to make you cum.”

“Oh,” Colby breathed.  Molly heard a shaky exhale, then a pause.  “Molly, you know I do not usually—”

“Usually, you said,” Molly insisted.  “You’ve made me feel good twice, now.  I feel like I owe you one.”

“This is my job,” Colby explained.  “They pay me, so I do not ask for anything in return for my services.”

Molly’s heart sank.  “You don’t have to ask if I’m offering.”

“Is this what you really want, Molly?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t,” Molly said, hope rekindling in his chest.  He quickly added, “As long as you’re into it.”

Colby sighed deeply and chuckled.  “Just know that I do not do this for just anyone.”

“I’ll believe it when you start moaning my name,” Molly purred, deciding not to dwell on the potential insincerity of Colby’s words.  “Where are you right now, Colby? They don’t make you sit in cubicles, do they?”

“ _Nein, nein,_ ” Colby said, his breathy laugh making Molly’s belly warm.  “They direct calls to my cell phone so that I can work from home.  I am in my bed right now, lying down with my cat.”

Gods, Colby had a _cat._  Molly imagined a particular spotted bengal curled up against Colby’s side.

“I hope your cat does not mind when I push your shirt up and start kissing your stomach.”

“ _Oh,_ ” Colby inhaled sharply.  “It is cold in my room, Molly.”

“Not for long, sweetheart.  Can you feel my hot breath on your skin?”

“ _J-ja,_ ” Colby whispered.

“You know, I have a body temperature of 102.  Tiefling fact.”

“That, ah….that is….I will remember that.”

“Good.  Now, how about my tongue, dipping into your belly button and continuing down, down until I reach the waistband of your underwear.  Boxers, Colby?”

“ _Ja,_ nothing else.”

“Mmm.  I tug on your waistband with my teeth.  Are you getting hard, Colby? Wet? What is it, darling?”

“Um, ah, hard.  My cock is….st-straining against my boxers.”

“Gods, you sound delicious right now.  I can’t wait to have my mouth on you. I pull your underwear down, exposing your hard, leaking cock.”

Molly could picture Colby so clearly, laid out on Molly’s bed with his shirt bunched up and his boxers down around his knees.  Colby still had Caleb Widogast’s face, but the rest of his body was up to Molly’s imagination.  He pictured a slightly muscular chest, thin hips and a soft belly dusted with auburn hair.  A thick patch of curls surrounded Colby’s cock.  It was smaller than Molly’s own, but only because Molly preferred average sized cocks.  They were cute and he could do more to them with his tongue when they were not depressing it.

In Molly’s head, Colby’s face and neck were flushed pink and his eyelids were half open, gazing at Molly with adoration and desire.  Molly watched his chest rise and fall as Colby panted softly through plump, parted lips.

“Cold, Molly,” Colby murmured.  Molly could almost see him shiver.  “I need your mouth on me.”

“Mm, don’t worry, love.  I will take care of you.  I take the tip of your cock between my lips and press my tongue against the head.  Follow me with your fingers, okay? I wrap my hand around the base of your cock and squeeze—gods, you’re so stiff in my hand, Colby.  I lower my head, taking more of you into my mouth.  Warm, isn’t it? I start pressing my tongue just under the head and tease your length all the way down.”

Colby let out a soft groan.  Molly strained to listen to the heavy breaths that followed, the knowledge that his words were actually turning Colby on made his own cock stiffen, and he cupped his it in his hand.  “You’re touching yourself, aren’t you?” he asked.

“ _J-ja,_ ” whispered Colby.  “Are you?”

“Mhmm,” Molly said, wrapping his fingers around his length.  “I can’t help but touch myself—you feel so good and heavy against my tongue.  It’s been too long since I had such a pretty cock in my mouth.”

Colby gasped and whimpered softly on the exhale.

“Yeah, let me hear you, sweetheart.  Don’t be shy.”

“Molly,” Colby said softly.  It was not quite a moan, but it was close.

“I’m gonna take you down to the base now, Colby.  Gonna take your whole cock in my mouth and swallow you whole.”

“Yes,” Colby hissed.  “Fuck, Molly, your mouth is so hot, f-feels so good on me.”

“Fuck, yeah,” Molly said.  “I start moving my head, holding you tight between my lips as I go up and down.  Fuck your fist for me, darling.  You can put your hand in my hair, if you want to—pull on it a bit.  I like that.”

“ _Ja,_ I will.  I push and pull your head up and down, going at my own pace.”

“Fuck, _fuck_ —fuck my mouth and use me, Colby.”  Molly sped up his hand, twisting his fingers around his cock while he rocked his hips.  He was panting hard, his head turned towards the phone so Colby could hear.  Colby's breaths grew heavier, too, interrupted by loud gasps that were too sudden and erratic to be fake.

“I fuck your mouth faster, faster—almost pulling you off before slamming you back down and filling your hot mouth with my cock.”

“Colby, fuck—I’m close, Colby.”

“Me too.  Oh, gods, Molly, I am going to cum—M-Molly, I’m cumming!”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s it, sweetheart,” Molly purred.  His own arousal was far past its boiling point.  He was going to cum himself any moment, but not before Colby.  “Cum for me, Colby.  Be a good boy and cum down my throat.”

Molly heard a few gasping breaths and desperate whines before Colby fucking _wailed_ —crying Molly’s name so loud that Molly’s neighbors could have heard, had they been listening.  Molly was too far gone to care while he rubbed his cock so hard it hurt.  “Good, good, ah, shit, I’m cumming, I’m cumming—ahh, _Caleb!”_

Molly lifted up off the bed, his back in a perfect arch as he shot squirt after squirt of cum all over his neck and chest.  His eyes snapped open in horror when he realized what he had said.  “Shit,” he spat, bolting upright and spiraling into a full-blown panic attack.  His hands shook and the blood left his face, making him dizzy and nauseous.  The world seemed to collapse inwards, trapping him under the weight of his mistake.

Molly strained his ears, listening for Colby’s reaction but Colby was silent.  Molly watched the seconds tick by as the call continued. “Colby?” he said, quietly.

No reply.

“Colby, are you still there?  Are you alright, dear?”

“Molly,” Colby finally said.  Molly was relieved to hear Colby’s voice, but for once he did not like the sound of his own name.  “I think.....maybe we should not have done this.”

“What do you mean?” Molly croaked, his voice shaking.  His heart felt physically heavy, like it was sinking down into the furious pit of adrenaline in his stomach.  Had it really been so bad that he had called Colby by the wrong name? He would have bet people did that all the time.

“This….this was a bad idea, Molly.  I am sorry, but I think, ah….maybe you should not call me again.”

“I’m sorry, Colby—if I did something that made you uncomfortable, I didn’t mean to.  Will you tell me? I want to make it better—”

“ _Nein,_ Molly,” Colby said, a little firmer.  “I am afraid you cannot.  I just think that I am in over my head.  I need….” He paused for a few moments.

“What do you need?” Molly whispered, desperate.

“Space,” Colby answered.  “Please.  I am not angry with you, but we cannot talk like this anymore.”

“Okay,” Molly said.  He hugged his knees to his chest and rested his forehead between them.  He felt tears well up behind his eyes.  He tried to keep his voice even, but he knew Colby could hear him start to break down.  “I’m sorry—whatever I did, I’m so, so sorry.  But I won’t….I won’t bother you anymore.  If I call again and get you, I’ll hang up, yeah?”

“Thank you,” Colby said.  The worst part was that he did not sound angry.  Molly could handle angry, but the mystery tore him apart.  “I am sorry.  Goodbye, Molly.”

“Bye, Colby.”

Molly stared at his phone until Colby hung up.

“ _The next operator is ready to talk to you.  Press 1 to connect,_ ” an automated voice said.

“Fuck off,” Molly sobbed.  He hit _end call_ and shoved his phone off the side of the bed.  He curled up into the tightest ball that his body could manage, buried his face in his pillow, and cried until he could not cry anymore.  Exhaustion finally took mercy on him and freed him from his panic, leaving Molly’s head empty and his heart emotionless.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. It gets better, I promise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Abe for proofreading! And thank everyone who has left kudos and comments. I'm usually too flustered to reply to them, but I read every one and I'm so happy you are as excited about this as I am. 
> 
> Also PLEASE take a look at this [brilliant fan art](https://i.imgur.com/b9nAcgT.jpg) of Caleb At Work by Jess from the widomauk server.

Molly woke from a restless sleep.  He had been vaguely aware of the sense of dread waxing and waning in his chest even as he slept, leaving him feeling exhausted.  He reached for his phone to check the time, but he remembered that he had knocked it to the floor. Well, it was Saturday and raining so he could spend the whole day in bed if he wanted to—and Molly wanted to.  He could spend the rest of eternity in bed, fading in and out of sleep, letting the world forget about him until he wasted away.  No one would come looking for him here in Chicago.  His phone would die and no one would be able to reach him.

 _Gods, I’m pathetic,_ he told himself.  He had fought enough battles with depression in his past that Molly knew the worst thing he could do was stay in bed, so he rose with all of his energy to retrieve his phone and sat on the edge of the bed.  No new messages—not like he was expecting any.  He closed the phone app, unable to look at the first number in his recent calls.

After coffee and a packet of instant oatmeal that tasted like guilt and too much sugar, Molly sent a message to Jester.

 _(10:24 A.M.) Mollymauk: jester if youre free can u call me_ _  
_ _(10:24 A.M.) Mollymauk: im kind of a mess rn and i need to talk_

Molly felt like a pest; he knew Jester worked on Saturdays, but his fear of being alone got the better of his self-control.  Jester could not have been too busy, though, because Molly’s phone rang less than five minutes later.

“Molly!  I get your text.  Are you okay?” Jester said, sounding worried.

“Physically, yeah,” answered Molly.  “Something happened last night and it’s stupid but I’m kinda fucked up over it.  I’m sorry to bother you at work, but—”

“You come first before my job, Molly, always,” Jester assured him.  “I am in the bathroom, though.  If you hear someone peeing, it isn’t me, I promise.”

“Thanks, that means a lot,” said Molly, forcing a little smile.

“Okay, so, tell me what’s wrong?”

Molly took a deep breath.  There was a lot to unload, and he had no idea where to begin.  After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, he said, “You remember Col—the, uh, the sex line operator?”

“Yes, I do!  The mystery man you had phone sex with on New Years.”

“Yeah, that’s the one.  We talked again—well, twice, actually.  Last night….it was going great. I actually got him to jack off for me.  He said he doesn’t do that for just anyone, but since he made me feel good, I wanted to return the favor.  He seemed really into it, up until the end.  And then he told me to stop calling him.”

“Oh, wow,” Jester said.  “That’s like, wow, I am super proud of you for seducing someone whose job it is to talk dirty on the phone.  Like, maybe you should get a job like that?

“Focus, Jester,” Molly sighed.

“Sorry, sorry!  What did you say to him, Molly?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know!  One minute he was moaning my name, the next he was telling me that we shouldn’t talk anymore.  The only weird thing that happened was….I kind of called him by the wrong name?”

“So?  People do that all the time during phone sex—I mean, I wouldn’t know, but isn’t the point of porn to think about someone else?”

“I thought the same thing!  I didn’t press him, though.  I know he’s just a random guy, but he was nice to me.  I didn’t want to make him more uncomfortable than I already had.”

“I’m sorry you got dumped by the sexy phone sex guy, but you deserve better than him, Molly!  You need to go outside and meet a real dude or lady or whatever, someone who appreciates you even if you call them the wrong name in bed.”

Molly laughed, sadly.  Jester’s way of talking was half of what made her so endearing.  She was honest and compassionate and funny without trying to be.  But the storm in his heart raged on, so dark and cloudy that this conversation was making him feel worse.

“I know you’re right, but I don’t….I don’t want anyone else.  I want _him._ ”

“Um, Molly?  Whose name did you call him?”

Molly gritted his teeth and swallowed hard.  This was the part that he was looking forward to the least.  “Do you remember Caleb? Caleb Widogast?”

Jester gasped so loudly that Molly held the phone away from his ear.

“Caleb from school?! Oh my gods, Molly! That was like, four or five years ago and you still like him!”

“I thought I stopped,” Molly admitted.  “I don’t think about him anymore.  Well, until Colby, I guess.  They have the same accent and Caleb’s face just appeared in my head one day.  I might have, uh, seen his profile on Facebook a couple times.”

“Beau is friends with him on Facebook! I think she still talks to him sometimes.”

“Fuck, if Beau ever finds out about this I will change my name and leave the country.”

“Don’t worry, Molly.  Your sexy secret is safe with me.  Beau runs away whenever I try to talk to her about sex anyway.  But anyway, like, the good news is the I don’t think you want Colby.  You are still in puppy love with Caleb and Colby was like, a substitute for your feelings or something.”

“Is that supposed to be better?” Molly groaned.  “I haven’t talked to Caleb since senior year, and he literally _ran_ from me when I tried flirting with him.”

“Yes, because Caleb was shy and you were dumb and don’t know how to have a conversation with your brain instead of your dick.”

Molly snorted.  “I’m so fucked, Jester.  I feel like I got kicked in the chest by a fucking horse.”

“You need to go out, Molly.  I am being totally real with you right now.  You don’t have any friends in Chicago and you get sad when you’re all alone.  And I don’t mean sex friends or online friends, I mean people you can see and talk to and do stuff with.”

“Please stop, you’re making too much sense,” Molly said.  He knew he needed to hear it, but what he wanted was for Jester to fix his life for him.  “I’m just….scared, I suppose.  The only thing I needed to be in high school was hot.”

“You’re not used to rejection, Molly,” Jester explained.  “If you want to be happy, even hot people like us need to work for it.  You are so brave for moving to Chicago to follow your dreams, but you need other things in your life besides like, your job.”

“Yeah,” Molly sighed, staring blankly at the rain that streaked down the window and obscured his view of the street.  “I’m just….sad.”

“It’s okay to be sad,” Jester said.  “But I would like you to stop being sad very soon and there is only so much I can do for you here.”

“I know, I know.  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to burden you with all this.”

“You have never been a burden to me!  You are my best friend and I love you with all my heart and I will always be here to listen to you be sad and until you aren’t sad anymore.”

Molly finally cracked a genuine smile.  “Thank you so much, Jester.  I have a lot to think about.  It’s really nice to hear your voice.”

“Do you have a therapist there?” Jester asked, suddenly.

“No,” Molly said, feeling his stomach twist.  “I felt fine, so I never looked for another one.”

“Okay, well, you are not feeling fine anymore so maybe it’s time to look?”

If anyone else had suggested therapy to Molly, he would have told them to mind their own fucking business, but Jester was right.  “I’ll do that,” he said, noncommittally.  “I have the weekend off, so I’ll go online and….yeah.”

“Are you just saying that so I will leave you alone?”

“No, I will!  I promise,” Molly insisted.  “The next time I talk to you, I’ll have set up an appointment.”

“I will hold you to your promise, Molly!  If you don’t, I will, um….I don’t know, sic Yasha on you!  Shit, I have to go now—I think someone is making a big fuss in the store.”

“Shit, okay, I’ll let you go take care of that.  Thanks so much, Jester.  You’re a gift and a treasure and I love you.”

“I love you too!  Please feel better, Molly.  Text me if you need me, okay?  Byeeee!”

Molly hung up before he could beg her to stay.  He sank into his chair and felt his mind begin to go numb.  What if he just said fuck it and went back to bed?

Molly swore and pushed himself up.  He definitely did not want Yasha involved in the miserable mess he had made, so after another cup of coffee, Molly opened his laptop and began to research therapists in his area.

* * *

Molly thought Monday would never come, but it did.  The sky had cleared and so had his head.  He spent the morning at the theater, seamlessly running through the entire play now that everyone had memorized their lines for the premiere on Friday.  Molly knew that the troubles in his personal life were far from over, but his mood lifted when he remembered how real people functioned.

Molly brought up the phone number for a therapist during his lunch hour.  His insurance had helped narrow the options down to just one office.  It had decent reviews, but he was still nervous about calling.  The last time he had seen a therapist was in his first year of college.  To his surprise and utter delight, Molly had run out of problems to talk about and had eventually found freedom in managing his emotions by himself.  

The phone rang three times before someone picked up.

“ _Hallo,_ Doctor Newton’s office,” the voice on the other end greeted him.  Molly nearly dropped his phone. “ _Hallo?_ ” the voice repeated.  It was unmistakably, one-hundred percent the voice of Colby.

“Hi,” Molly croaked before he forgot how to make words.

“ _Ja,_ hi.  Ah….can I help you?”

“Wrong number, sorry,” Molly muttered  and hung up.  He was rushed head-on by the familiar symptoms of a panic attack—sweaty palms, shaking hands, the crippling fear that he was having a heart attack.  Molly pushed his soup and sandwich aside and leaned his head on folded arms.  This was impossible.  This was a nightmare.  He checked his phone to make sure he had not accidentally dialed _Silvertongue Services,_ but the phone and address of _Dr. Newton and Associates_ was clearly on the screen.

Colby had told Molly not to call him anymore, but this was different, right?  Molly waited for his panic to fade, swallowed his shame and redialed the office.

“Hallo, Doctor Newton’s office,” Colby—no, the receptionist said.

Molly took a deep, grounding breath.  “Yeah, uh, hi, I was wondering if I could, um, make an appointment.”

“ _a,_ of course,” the receptionist said without skipping a beat.  Colby could not have recognized Molly’s voice, thank the gods.  “Can you come in for an intake appointment on Wednesday at 4:00 PM?”

“Yeah, that works for me,” Molly said.

“Great!  Can I have your name, please?”

Oh no, oh gods, oh fuck.  Molly could not do this.  Why did it have to be _him?_  There were millions of people in this fucking city and Molly was talking to the one person who fucking hated him.   _Fuck._

“Mollymauk Tealeaf,” he said, feeling the ground beneath his chair disappear.  He was floating in space, blind to his surroundings and clipping through the walls of existence and the boundaries of linear thought.  He let his subconscious answer the demographic questions for him, painfully aware that the more he talked, the greater the chance was that Colby would recognize his voice.

“Please bring your ID and insurance cards with you.  We will see you on Wednesday at 4:00.”

Molly mumbled a “thanks” and ended the call.  He dropped his head on the table and shook as adrenaline ran its course through his body.  The smell of food sickened him, so he tossed the remains of his lunch into the trash and headed back to the auditorium with a fake smile plastered on his face.

* * *

 _(7:10 P.M.) Mollymauk: made the appointment_  
_(7:14 P.M.) Jester: yay!!!!!!!!! I’m so proud of you!!!_  
_(7:15 P.M.) Mollymauk: jester it was him_  
_(7:15 P.M.) Mollymauk: colby_  
_(7:15 P.M.) Mollymauk: the receptionist_  
_(7:16 P.M.) Jester: wtf seriously???? Molly are you hallucinating??_  
_(7:16 P.M.) Mollymauk: i dunno its possible_  
_(7:16 P.M.) Jester: how many jobs does this guy HAVE_  
_(7:16 P.M.) Mollymauk: i dont know but im so fucking done_  
_(7:16 P.M.) Mollymauk: im gonna go to bed and sleep forever_  
_(7:17 P.M.) Jester: noooo molly you did a good thing!_  
_(7:17 P.M.) Jester: who cares if its him!! You are going to see the doctor not caleb_  
_(7:17 P.M.) Jester: or colby or whoever he is_  
_(7:20 P.M.) Mollymauk: im gonna drive home now its cold as balls out here_  
_(7:21 P.M.) Jester: :( please drive safe_ _  
(7:21 P.M.) Mollymauk: ok_

Molly drove home in a daze.  The dread that he had shaken was back with a vengeance and had brought anxiety home with it.  Molly went straight to the shower and sat on the floor until the water went cold.  He sent a quick message to Jester saying he had gotten home safely, went to bed without dinner and, by the mercy of the moonlight, fell asleep before he had time to dwell on what had happened that afternoon.

The next two days crept by in a blur.  Molly was plagued with constant anxiety and moments of complete dissociation.  One of his cast members had even taken him aside to ask if he was alright, to which he had responded, yes, and had explained that he had not been sleeping well because he was nervous about the performance.  They had clapped him on the shoulder and told him that he had nothing to worry about, and the rest of the afternoon was lost to Molly.

The next time that Molly was lucid, he found himself parked in the lot behind the doctor’s office building at 3:45 P.M.  His legs carried him to the third floor of the building and into suite 313.  The room was clean with white walls and a few chairs surrounding a square coffee table off to the side.  Directly in front of him was the receptionist’s desk, behind which was seated a young man with red, shoulder-length hair, blue eyes and brown fur on his navy blue sweater.  He had the face of Caleb Widogast from school, from Facebook, from….Chicago, apparently.

“Um, hi, I’m here to see Dr. Newton,” Molly said, regretting that he had told Colby—well, Caleb—that he was a tiefling.

“Welcome,” Caleb said.  “Can I get your name and date of birth?”

Sure.  That was easy enough.

“M-Muh—It’s, uh, Muh….Millimack Tit...leaf,” Molly stammered.  “No, wait— _shit!_  That’s not….um, date of, uh, name, uh, shit.  Sorry, it’s all here.”

Molly slid his ID and insurance cards across the counter with a trembling hand.  Caleb read the name on the ID and slowly raised his eyes to meet Molly’s, then looked back down at the card.  “Okay...” Caleb said, slowly, and began typing Molly’s information into the computer.

Caleb handed back Molly’s cards, along with a clipboard and pen.  “Please fill out this form and return it to me when you are done.  I will let the doctor know that you are here.”

Molly retreated shamefully to the waiting area and sat across from a shy looking teenager sitting beside who Molly assumed was their mother.  He kept his eyes on the clipboard, filling in blanks and checking boxes until he heard Caleb speak.

“Dr. Newton will see you now, Mr. Titleaf.”

Molly nearly jumped out of his skin.  He shot the Caleb a bewildered look—had he _really?_  And Caleb, because now Molly knew for sure that it was, had the nerve to _smirk_ at him.

Molly shuffled into the doctor’s office.  His first impression of Dr.  Newton was that he was a little rough around the edges.  He was a large man with muscular hands that looked weathered from years of physical labor.  Molly had trouble guessing his age, and there was something about him that made Molly think that he belonged outdoors instead of in an office.  He had a slight southern accent, too, and Molly wondered just how he ended up as a therapist in Chicago.

But Molly was not there to ask Dr. Newton questions.  They reviewed Molly’s medical history, past diagnoses, and treatments.  The only diagnosis Molly agreed with anymore was his ADHD, but there had been a lot of guesses made by doctors and therapists in his past.  

“I’ll be real with you, err, Molly.  I’m not as interested in diagnosing as I am in identifying individual problems,” Dr. Newton explained.  “Why don’t you tell me what brings you here today and we’ll go from there.”

“I just moved to Chicago like, three months ago and I’m still in love with my high school crush even though we haven’t talked in four years—well, we actually didn’t talk very much during high school, either, but yeah, I guess I’m still in love with him because I’ve been calling this sex hotline and I keep calling until I get this guy who sounds just like him, and we got along great but then he suddenly asked me to stop calling him and I don’t know why.  I accidentally called him by the name of my crush but that’s not a big deal, right? I talked to my friend about it and she said that I’m projecting my feelings onto this anonymous guy who happens to sound like him but I think that they might be the same person.  I fucked up my chance in high school and I just found out he lives in Chicago but I think he still hates me and ever since that last phone call I feel like my whole life’s gone to shit.”

Molly took a deep, gasping breath.  “Um, are you gonna write any of that down?”

“I’m listenin’, Molly.  That sure is a mouthful.  It’s uh, yeah, a whole lot.  But I think your friend may be onto somethin’.  If you haven’t talked to this guy in years but you’re suddenly missin’ him because you were talkin’ dirty with someone who sounded like him?  It sounds like you need to work on movin’ on.  You need to heal from gettin’ rejected.”

“That’s the part I already know,” Molly groaned, frustrated and frowning.  “I just don’t know how to get there.”

“I can help you with that, Molly.  That’s what I’m here for if you need my support.  I can tell you one thing, though—it doesn’t sound like you need meds or anything complicated like that.  You just moved here.  How’s your social life been?”

“Uh....” Molly shrank into his shoulders a bit.  “Pretty much non-existent.  I have friends back home.  We talk sometimes, but...not enough.”

“Well, I think you should start there.  Meet some new folks.  Figure out what your interests are and find like-minded people to spend time with.  That leaves less time for reminiscing about what could’ve been.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Molly said.  It made just as much sense as it had when Jester had said it.  “There isn’t a shortcut or anything?”

“Afraid not, Molly.  If there was, I’d be out of a job.”  Dr. Newton cracked a little grin, and Molly smiled back.  “Our time’s up for today, but I have Wednesdays open at this time if you’d like to meet weekly, or monthly.  Just let Caleb at the desk know and he’ll schedule you in.”

Molly groaned.   _Caleb._  He had hoped that he could sneak out a back entrance and maybe next time there would be a different receptionist.

“Thanks, doc,” Molly said.  Dr. Newton extended his hand and Molly shook it before turning and leaving the office.

“Uh, excuse me,” Molly said to Caleb, who had his head down.  Caleb’s head snapped up and he shoved the book he had been reading to the side.  “Can I schedule an appointment for next Wednesday at 4:00?”

“Ja, let me see here.”  Caleb turned to his computer screen.  “Sure.  You are all set, Milli—”

“Mollymauk,” Molly corrected.  “It’s….my name is Mollymauk.”

“Have a good day, Mollymauk,” Caleb said, giving him a nod and a smile.

Molly’s heart did flips as he ran down the stairs to his car.  He banged his head on the steering wheel and screamed under the sound of the blaring horn.

 _(6:10 P.M.) Mollymauk: it was him_  
_(6:10 P.M.) Mollymauk: caleb_  
_(6:10 P.M.) Mollymauk: im gonna fucking puke i just saw caleb in person_  
_(6:12 P.M.) Mollymauk: jester im freaking the fuck out in the parking lot i dont know what to do_  
_(6:15 P.M.) Jester: molly you had your appointment!!! How did it go??_  
_(6:15 P.M.) Mollymauk: it was fine_  
_(6:15 P.M.) Mollymauk: but thats not the problem_  
_(6:15 P.M.) Mollymauk: i just met caleb widogast irl and i told him my name was millimack titleaf_  
_(6:16 P.M.) Jester: molly what hte fuck_  
_(6:16 P.M.) Jester: i’m trying to be supportive but i cant stop laughing_  
_(6:16 P.M.) Jester: MILLIMACK TITLEAF????_  
_(6:17 P.M.) Mollymauk: im going home now_  
_(6:17 P.M.) Mollymauk: i need to wallow in shame before the play on friday_  
_(6:17 P.M.) Mollymauk: im such a fucking mess i wish you were here to see it_  
_(6:19 P.M.) Jester: awww Molly i wish i was there too_  
_(6:19 P.M.) Jester: i’m sure you will be a GREAT rozencrats (i don’t know how to spell it) and your therapist will help you with all your caleb stuff!!!! <3 _   
_(6:20 P.M.) Mollymauk: <3_

Molly tossed his phone on the passenger seat and drove home, ignoring the buzzes he heard on the way.  He picked up a pizza in honor of Jester and almost ate the whole thing before he parked his car and prepared for a long night of decompressing before the dress rehearsal tomorrow.  He let the unread messages untouched; Jester could wait for him until morning.

 _(6:24 P.M.) Jester: i’m changing your name in my address book btw_  
_(6:24 P.M.) Jester: millimack titleaf i literally cannot BELIEVE_  
_(6:44 P.M.) Jester: i’m sorry for being mean but you have to admit its kinda funny_ _  
_ (6:56 P.M.) Jester: get a good night sleep ok? It will be funny in the morning i promise!!!!

* * *

When Friday finally came, Molly felt surprisingly cheerful.  He had the morning to himself before the dress rehearsal, so Molly decided to walk around the city instead of sleeping in.  He had been reluctant to admit anything to anyone, but talking to Jester and Dr. Newton had helped him feel like there was hope beyond his misery.  He had driven past the buildings downtown dozens of times with only the destination in mind, but he was beginning to see the city as individual parts of a whole.  He passed stores and coffee shops, offices and apartments.  He saw people walking together and walking alone with their dogs.  He saw a society that he wanted to be a part of and for the first time since he had moved, he believed that a normal life was not only attainable but perhaps less work than he had thought.

Molly ate lunch outside a small cafe before driving to the theater.  Once he was dressed in his costume, Molly did not only recite his lines, but he delivered them with all the feeling that he had lacked at the beginning of the week.  In only a few hours, they would be performing for real.  They spent the rest of the afternoon making final preparations for the premier.

The theater was sold out.  The auditorium was full of people who had come to see the play that they had worked so hard on perfecting.  “Whatever happens, it’ll be better than the movie,” one cast member joked, getting one more laugh from the cast before the curtain opened on Molly and his co-star at exactly 7:15 P.M.

It was easy to ignore the audience; Molly had always been the center of attention and found that he performed best under pressure.  He felt invigorated by endorphins and the good kind of adrenaline, the kind that bolstered his confidence and not the crippling anxiety that had weighed him down.  It seemed like the play was over in no time at all.  Molly stood in a line among the rest of the cast, taking their final bow as the audience stood up and cheered.

It was then that Molly saw him—blue eyes, red hair, four rows from the front.  Blood rushed in his ears as fear, excitement, confusion, and horror sunk their claws into his heart.  Caleb’s face was the last to disappear before the curtain closed one last time.

Molly felt the bile rising in his throat as he sprinted backstage.  He slammed the door to the tiny bathroom and immediately slumped against the wall.  Eventually, the nausea passed, but Molly remained sitting on the grimy floor until his heart stopped racing.  He took deep, grounding breaths and spoke the names of everything he saw in the room under his breath.  What the fuck was Caleb doing here?  Did he enjoy the theater? Had he seen Molly’s name on the cast list and decided to come to torment him? Had he wandered in by accident and was too self-conscious to leave?

Molly heard a knock on the door.

“Just a minute,” he called.  He pushed himself to his feet and washed his hands, just so whoever was outside would not know that Molly was having a panic attack on the bathroom floor.

“Hey, Molly!  Great job out there!”  Molly’s Guildenstern was standing in the doorway, a young, blue tiefling with bright green eyes.

“You were fucking fantastic,” Molly replied, just as enthusiastically.

“See you at the afterparty?”

“Ah, maybe,” Molly said.  “I have to take care of something first.  Save a drink for me, yeah?”

The tiefling gave Molly a thumbs up before disappearing into the bathroom.  Molly sighed.  He wanted to revel in their success, but every muscle in his body wanted to bolt out the door.

 _Don’t chase after him,_ he told himself, but his own warning lasted about thirty seconds before Molly rushed into the auditorium, leaped off the stage and sprinted down the aisle.

“Caleb!” Molly cried, scanning the street for any sign of the red-haired man, but Caleb was gone.  Molly swore, shivering as the winter air chilled through the thin fabric of his costume.  Molly began to wonder if it had been a hallucination.  He would have to bring it up to Dr. Newton at his next appointment.  Haunted by the ghost of a living man, Molly turned around to go back inside.

Molly took one step and froze.

“Hi, Molly,” Caleb said from the doorway.  He was bundled up in a long coat with a thick scarf around his neck.

“What are you doing here?” Molly rasped.  He thought his own voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

“I came to see your—well, the play.”  Caleb fidgeted with his hands.  “I did not know you were in it, but, um, you were great.  I have never seen _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,_ but I have heard good things.  It is brilliant, isn’t it? Your monologue about being in the box?  Um, you were fantastic.”

“You….enjoy the theater?” Molly asked, cocking his head.

“ _Ja,_ very much so.  I have read a lot of plays, but I have barely seen many performances.”

“Well, I’m glad you liked it.”

“ _Ja,_ I can tell you all put a lot of hard work into it.”

“We’ve been practicing since January, so, yeah.  Thanks, Caleb.”

“You are welcome, Molly.”

The two stood in front of the theater as people filtered out, neither of them making an effort to move.

“I suppose this city isn’t as big as it seems,” Molly said, breaking the silence.

“Apparently not,” Caleb agreed.

“It’s like….the universe is trying to tell me something.”

“And what is that, Molly?”

“I think, maybe, um….do you wanna grab a coffee sometime?”

Molly steeled himself for rejection and was surprised when Caleb smiled at him.

“Ja, I would like that,” Caleb said.  Molly almost fell to his knees.  Warmth spread outwards from his core, bringing feeling back into his numb fingers and toes.

“I know it’s late, but—”

“I know a place that is open twenty-four hours,” Caleb interrupted.  “If you are not too tired, maybe we could go now?”

“Yes, please,” Molly said, cracking the widest smile that his face would allow.

“I will let you go change and meet you right here,” Caleb said, shoving his hands into his pockets and burying his nose in his scarf.

“I’ll be quick,” Molly said, shifting his weight to make sure his ankles would hold him before dashing into the theater.  He burst into laughter as soon as he was out of Caleb’s earshot.  He hugged every cast member he could see on his way to the dressing room.

Molly was going on a date with Caleb fucking Widogast.


	5. Chapter 5

Molly could hardly contain his excitement as Caleb lead him down a few blocks to the coffee shop.  It was small and a little bit cramped, but the atmosphere was calm and pleasant.  Most importantly, the store was warm.  Molly was definitely underdressed and he envied the scarf that kept the wind off Caleb’s face.

They ordered their drinks—a caramel latte for Molly and a large black coffee for Caleb.

“I can pay for—” Molly started, but Caleb was already handing the cashier a few bills.  He turned to Molly.  “We are not there yet,” Caleb said with an expression that was hard to read, so Molly just nodded.  They found a table in the corner and sat across from each other, both blowing on their drinks as steam rose from the paper cups.

“I come here all the time,” Caleb explained.  “Well, when I am not working and cannot get to sleep.”

“Yeah,” Molly said.  “Sometimes it’s better to be around people than to be alone with your own thoughts.”  He felt like such a hypocrite.

“ _Ja,_ I am slowly learning that.”

“Yeah, me too.  I just moved here a few months ago and….it’s been rough.”

“I know,” Caleb said.  “When I moved here, I never left the house except to go to work.”

“What do you do for work?” Molly asked, realizing his mistake after the words had left his mouth.  He knew too much about Caleb to be having this conversation.

“Well, you know about two of my jobs already,” Caleb said, smiling sheepishly.  “But those are just side jobs.  I teach at Harper college.”

“Oh?  A professor?” Molly’s eyes rose to meet Caleb’s, his lips curling into a smirk.

“ _Nein,_ just a teacher for now.”

“Hmm, a professor _and_ a sex line operator,” Molly said, dreamily, as if he had not heard what Caleb had said.

Caleb raised an eyebrow.  “Um, _ja?_  I do both of those things.”

“Caleb, tell me you realize that you are like, every student’s wet dream.”

Caleb’s face turned red.  “I try to keep them separate.”

“Okay, that’s fair,” was all that Molly could say without steering the conversation down a less casual route.

“I only recently starting working part time as a receptionist on days that I do not teach in the afternoon,” Caleb continued.  “I only work for the hotline on weekends, now.”

“Gods, you do a lot,” Molly said.

“ _Ja,_ I have to.  Community college does not pay me well enough to keep up with my student debt.  You know, everyone who gets a teaching degree thinks they will work for some big university.  I am lucky that I did not get stuck working at a high school.”

The words _“high school”_ sounded like sandpaper to Molly’s ears—he was unsure if it had been Caleb’s delivery or his own recollection of the clusterfuck that had been his own experience.

“Thank the gods you didn’t,” Molly said.  “No would should be subjected to teaching at high school.”

That got a giggle out of Caleb.  “I would like to never step foot inside another high school for as long as I live.”

“I think that’s where we have to vote.”

“You will have to figure out how to vote twice for me, then,” Caleb said.  His big, genuine smile on made Molly’s heart swell.  They both laughed, and it felt so good to make Caleb laugh that Molly wanted to do it again, and again, and again.

Molly watched Caleb take a big drink from his cup, reminding him that he had not touched his own.  The caramel was sweet but not too much and even through the milk and sugar, the coffee was strong and flavorful.  “Gods, this latte is so fucking good,” Molly said, taking another sip.

“Isn’t it?” Caleb agreed.  “I do not want to come off as a coffee snob, but…”  He trailed off and shrugged.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Molly said, smiling.  “I would have turned you down if you had offered to take me to Starbucks.”

Caleb snorted.  “You ran after me like a scene out of a romcom,” he said.  “I do not think you would have turned me down, even if I took you to the McDonalds drive-thru.”

Molly threw back his head and laughed.  “I like you, Caleb.  I don’t think I’ve had a real conversation this long with anyone outside of work.”

“Why me, though?” Caleb asked, suddenly, setting his cup down.  “And why now?”

“Well…” Molly had to pause and think.  There were perhaps a dozen answers swimming around in Molly’s head and they were all struggling to fit through a doorway that was only big enough for one.  “You were kind to me, Caleb, and it is, apparently, impossible to avoid you.”

“ _Ja,_ apparently,” Caleb murmured, smiling softly.

The two continued to chat, letting an hour go by without notice.

“Would you like another?” Caleb asked, motioning to Molly’s empty cup.  “The barista knows me pretty well.  She might give me a drink on the house.”

“No, it’s alright.  Thanks, though,” Molly answered, using all of his willpower to not say _yes, please._  “I would love to keep talking, but it’s getting kinda late.  We run two performances tomorrow, and another on Sunday afternoon.”

“Oh, _ja,_ you should go home and get some rest,” Caleb said.  He stood, pushing his chair in and pulling his coat tighter around his shoulders.  “I will, ah, let you go, then.”

“Hey, let me at least drive you home,” Molly offered, standing as well.

“ _Nein,_ I would not want you to go out of your way just to—”

“Caleb, shush.  I mean, it’s fucking cold out there.  And I owe you one for showing me this neat little shop.”

“Fine, okay,” Caleb huffed.  He smiled again, and lead Molly out the door.

By the time they reached the theater, Molly was shivering visibly.  The temperature must have dropped another 10 degrees since they had arrived at the coffee shop.  Molly looked at Caleb when he felt a hand on his arm and saw that Caleb was taking off his scarf.

“Here,” Caleb said, slinging the scarf over Molly’s shoulders.  “You look like you need this more than I do.”

“Oh, um.  Are….are you sure?  Okay, um, th-thanks,” Molly stammered.  His heartbeat sped up.  The scarf was warm from Caleb’s skin and the act itself was more intimate than Caleb probably realized.  “My car is, ah….back there, in the lot.”

Molly wondered if Caleb thought he was being creepy.  Offering a near-stranger a ride home and then leading them into a dark and mostly-empty parking lot could have been a nightmare situation for almost anyone—but Caleb got in the passenger seat without question.

Once inside, Molly cranked the heat up, wrapped his arms around himself and shivered until the car began to heat up.

“Are you alright?” Caleb asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Molly said, unclenching his teeth long just enough to speak.  “Fuck, should’ve dressed better.”

Caleb waited quietly while Molly warmed up.  “Fucking finally,” Molly muttered.  He steered the car out of the parking lot.  “Just tell me where to go.”

The drive to Caleb’s apartment was too short, in Molly’s opinion.

“Well, here we are,” Caleb said, but he made no effort to move.

“Yeah,” Molly sighed.  “Hey, um, I had fun tonight.”

“Me, too.  Ah….would you like to do this again sometime?”

“For real?” Molly whipped his head around and met Caleb’s eyes, still so blue in the soft glow of the dashboard lights.  The shy grin on his face made Molly’s heart do backflips.  “Caleb, I would love to.”

“Okay, okay, good,” Caleb said.  “I know you are busy this weekend, so, um, would you like—can I give you my number?”

Molly’s hand darted into his pocket to retrieve his phone.  “Here,” he said, nearly dropping it in Caleb’s lap.  Caleb added himself to Molly’s contacts and handed the phone back.

“You can call or text me, whatever you are most comfortable with,” Caleb said.  “Um, I am working nights this weekend, but, ah….Monday night is fine.  If you, ah, want to plan something, or just want to talk.”

“Thank you, Caleb,” Molly said, beaming.  His giddiness from getting Caleb’s number almost outweighed the disappointment he felt when Caleb opened the door and stepped out.  “Hey, wait! Don’t forget your scarf.”

Molly began to unravel the scarf from his neck, but Caleb stopped him.  “ _Nein—_ no, keep it.  You can give it back to me next time, _ja?_ ”

“ _Ja,_ ” Molly echoed in a whisper.  “Next time.”

Caleb giggled.  “Good night, Molly,” he said.  “I am sure you won’t need it, but good luck tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Molly said.  “Have a good night, Caleb.”

Molly stared as Caleb disappeared into the building.  He sank into his seat and pulled the scarf up over his chilly nose.  Gods, so that was what Caleb smelled like.  Molly inhaled deeply and the faint scent of earth and musk and cinnamon filled his nostrils.  He wanted to wrap himself in Caleb’s smell and stay there forever, but once he realized how long he had been sitting in front of Caleb’s apartment, Molly began driving home.

* * *

Molly warmed up a plate of various leftovers as soon as he got inside, knowing that once he crashed, he would be down for the night.  He sent a message to Jester while he ate.

 _(11:32) Mollymauk: the play was so fucking good_  
_(11:32) Mollymauk: im so proud of myself_  
_(11:32) Mollymauk: like im 1200% positive that this is my purpose in life_  
_(11:32) Mollymauk: oh and i also went on a date ;)_

Not even a minute had passed before Molly’s phone rang.

“You did _WHAT?!”_ Jester hollered.

Molly chuckled.  “Ha, I knew that would get you to call me.”

“You better not be fucking with me, Mollymauk Tealeaf,” she threatened, her voice dropping an octave.

“No, I really did go on a date!” Molly insisted.  Jester could be deceptively scary when she was angry.

“Oh my _GODS!_ ” Jester shouted.  “Who was it? Where did you go?  Do I know them? What did you do?  Spill it! Spill it! Spill it, Molly!”

“I will, if you let me talk!” Molly cried, laughing so hard his stomach hurt.  He had kept his excitement from bursting forth and making a fool out of himself in front of Caleb, but it was all coming out now.  He flopped down on the couch and flicked his tail excitedly between his heels.

“You’re gonna freak out, Jester, so I’m going to hold the phone away from my ear for a second, yeah?  It was Caleb.  Caleb Wido—”

Jester _screamed,_ and Molly laughed even harder.  “I swear, I’m not fucking with you.  He came to see my play.  I asked him if he wanted to get coffee—and I meant, like, next week, right?  But he said _yes_ and took me to a little coffee shop near the theater.”

“This is the same Caleb, the phone sex guy?  Didn’t he just break up with you or something?”

“I don’t know how it happened,” Molly admitted.  “I think fate is trying to tell me something.  We keep missing each other, and I didn’t want that to happen again.”

“Molly, this is so crazy.  I’m happy for you but you know this is like, a scene out of a romcom.”

“He said exactly the same thing!  I might have made a bit of a scene by running after him, but it ended up being alright.  Better than alright.  Fuck, I really like him.”

Molly left out the part about having a panic attack in the bathroom and how long he lingered outside Caleb’s apartment.  She already had enough fuel to tease him with.

“Are you going to see him again?”

“I hope so!  He, um, gave me his phone number.  How soon is too soon to call?”

“I don’t really think that matters,” Jester said.  “If he gave you his number, it means he likes you, and if you likes you, he’ll want you to call him soon!”

“I want to call him _now,_ ” Molly whined, lashing his tail impatiently.  He glanced at the time.  “Shit, I need to go to bed.”

“Oh!  I’m so sorry, Molly, I totally forgot to ask you how it went!”

“It was great!  The auditorium was packed and both shows tomorrow are sold out.”

“Oooh, that is wonderful!  We miss you lots, but I am really, really proud of you, for going to therapy and becoming a huge star and going on a date and all the things you’ve done so far!”

“Thanks, Jester.  I miss you all, too.  Hey, how’s it going with Fjord, by the way?”

“Umm, what’s a better words than _fucking amazing?_  We are so cute together, I think everybody is jealous.”

“They ought to be,” Molly said, laughing and then sighing with a silly smile on his face.  “It seems our lives are finally coming together, doesn’t it?”

“Yes!  It’s about time, too.  I would tell you _allllll_ about it but I know that would take like, hours, probably.  Go get some sleep, okay?”

“Another time, yeah?  Good night, Jester.”

“Bye, Molly!”

Molly hauled himself up off the couch.  He tried not to think about Caleb when he showered or crawled into bed, but Caleb’s sweet face kept appearing in Molly’s mind.  He fell asleep replaying the conversation they had in his car over and over again.  Molly felt like he was in high school again, but this time, Caleb Widogast liked him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *subtly points to the total chapters being bumped up from 5 to 8*


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Rose for proofreading!

Saturday’s shows were even better than Friday’s premier, in Molly’s opinion.  He went out for dinner and drinks with the other cast members, where he revealed more about himself than he ever had to them before.  He talked about how supportive his best friend had been, and raved about having recently met someone. It felt like the past twenty-four hours had filled in all the missing blanks in Molly’s life.  He was finally, one-hundred percent convinced that moving to Chicago had been the right thing to do, and that there was nothing that could happen now to change that.

Molly was mostly sober by the time he was dropped off at home.  His car was still at the theater, but he would never risk driving after having three beers.  The most powerful chemical coursing through his veins was adrenaline; Molly felt high off success, good company and cheer.  It was a little past midnight when Molly finally relaxed in bed, but he was still too wound up to even think about sleeping.  His mind quickly wandered to Caleb, and he remembered what Jester had said— _”If he gave you his number, he’ll want you to call him soon!”_

The phone rang a few times before Caleb picked up.

_“Hallo?”_

“Hi, Caleb, it’s Molly.”

“Oh, hi, Molly!” Caleb said.  Molly’s heart fluttered at the excitement in Caleb’s voice.  “I was not expecting you to call this late but, um, _hallo!_ ”

“Ah, sorry, it is late, isn’t it?  I can call back some other time—”

“ _Nein!_  I just meant that I was not expecting to hear you voice but, ah, I am happy you called.  I just finished working.”

Oh, shit.  Molly had momentarily forgotten that Caleb worked for the hotline on weekend nights.  He had been so eager to talk that he had not even considered it.

“Do you have time for one more?” Molly asked, a little smile playing on his lips.

“ _Ja,_ but just one more,” Caleb said, laughing.

Hearing Caleb’s laugh through the speaker had Molly quickly becoming flustered.  The only times he had ever talked to Caleb on the phone was through the hotline.   _Calm down,_ Molly scolded himself.   _This is different._

“I’ll try not to scare you off this time, yeah?” Molly teased.

“Oh, Molly, you did not scare me off,” Caleb said, solemnly.  “If anything, I scared myself off.”

Molly swallowed and his heart started to sink.  “I don’t….um, we don’t have to talk about this, now, if you don’t want to.”

“It is alright.  It is better to get it out of the way, _ja?_ ”

“Yeah,” Molly agreed.  “I owe you more than an apology, Caleb.  I never wanted to make you uncomfortable, but I should have been more thoughtful.  If I pushed too far, you can tell me.”

“You did not make me do anything that I did not want to,” Caleb insisted.  “Um, listen, Molly….this has been weighing on me, so I have to come clean. I _knew._  I knew who you were the moment I heard your voice for the first time.”

Molly felt the blood leave his face and his chest become so hot that he feared he was starting to have another panic attack.  “What do you mean?” he croaked.

“I mean that when I talked to you the first time you called the hotline, I remembered your voice from high school.  I recognized your accent and I knew that you were Mollymauk Tealeaf.  How was I supposed to tell you? I did not think I would ever talk to you again.  I will understand if this changes your opinion of me.”

Molly laughed a little too hard, the tension in his body leaving him through his mouth.

“Caleb, oh, gods, I’m so relieved.”

“Ah….you are?”

“Yes!  This means you can’t hold it against me for calling you the wrong name!  Well, the right name, I guess.  For thinking that you were, well, you.”

He heard Caleb giggle, the sweetest sound Molly had ever heard.

“ _Ja,_ I suppose I cannot,” Caleb said.

“Shit, you’re right, I _am_ glad we talked about this.  I’m not the creepy one!”

“I did not think it was creepy, but it was….startling, to say the least.”

“Well, my apology is still there if you want it.”

“If I knew you were so kind back in high school, I would not have run away,” Caleb admitted.  “I was intimidated by you—by your popularity, and the people you hung out with.”

“I understand,” Molly said, frowning.  “I was loud and obnoxious.  I just wish we could’ve been friends.”

“Hey, try not to get hung up on that, okay?  I was going through some stuff back then.  I was a wreck, ah, transitioning and everything.  We can be friends now, if you would like.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Molly said, his face lighting up again.  “Hey, not to be too forward, but when can I see you again? My life goes back to normal on Monday.  I’m usually done by 6:30.”

“Hmm, Monday is no good.  I am at the doctor’s office Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, but I need to prepare for the next day’s classes on Monday and Wednesday.  I teach night classes on Tuesday and Thursday, and my commute is a nightmare.  That just leaves Friday night.”

“That’s so far away,” Molly complained.

“I know,” Caleb sighed.  “I wish it could be sooner, too.  But, um, I could meet you at the theater Friday night.”

“That sounds great,” Molly said, smiling.

There was a long silence where Molly simply enjoyed being with Caleb, listening to his soft breathing on the other end of the line while he thought about their upcoming date.  He did not know of any hot date spots, but Caleb seemed to know the area better than Molly did.

“Honestly, I’m having trouble thinking of something to say,” Molly confessed.

“You?  Really?” Caleb teased.  What he said next sent Molly’s head spinning.  “What would you say to Colby?”

“You….what?  Seriously?” Molly laughed nervously.

“You never ran out of things to say to Colby,” Caleb explained.  “What would you say to him?”

“You’re kidding,” Molly said, cringing when he remembered how thirsty he had been when he thought that he had been talked to Colby.

“I can stop if I am making you uncomfortable.  I am not sure what to say, either.  Actual conversations are, ah, new for me.”

“If you’re making me uncomfortable, it isn’t in the way you’re thinking.”

“Oh,” Caleb whispered.  Molly heard him take a deep breath.

“You aren’t going to charge me if I tell you, right?”

“I have no way of doing that if you call me directly, Molly.  But I will not protest if you buy me dinner on Friday.”

Gods, this was not where Molly was expecting the conversation to go, but Caleb was, apparently, full of surprises.  He smiled wide and covered his blushing face with his hand, as if he could somehow keep his excitement from reaching Caleb on the other end.

“I might tell Colby I wished he would have kissed me last night,” Molly said.

“Colby would have kissed you, but I am afraid I am not as brave as him,” Caleb replied.

Molly sat up straight in bed and clutched the phone.  “You wanted to kiss me?”

“Um…. _ja,_ I did,” Caleb answered, shyly.  “I thought that you might kiss me, so I did not get out right away.”

“Oh, shit,” Molly breathed.  “I fucked that up, huh?”

Caleb laughed.  “It is alright, Molly.  You are very sweet for waiting.”

“So, if I kissed you in my car, would you have left at all?”

“I….do not know.  You had to wake up early, so I think that it was best that I left.”

“No, yeah, you’re right—”

“But,” Caleb interrupted, “You do not have to be anywhere in this fantasy, so I would not feel as bad for keeping you.”

“Fuck, Caleb, this is….fuck.  This is turning me on.”

Caleb chuckled.  “Good,” he said, his voice dipping low.  “I am glad that we are on the same page, now.”

“Thanks for letting me borrow your scarf, by the way,” Molly said.  “But it wasn’t enough to keep me warm.”

“I was very comfortable.  If you had put your hands under my coat, I could have warmed them for you.”

It must have been the suggestive nature of the conversation that was getting to Molly, because arousal was already pooling in his stomach and creeping its way down into his groin.  He imagined being in the car with Caleb with only the lights from the dashboard to see by.  He slid one hand inside Caleb’s coat and could almost feel the warmth engulfing his frozen fingers.

“I can’t see where my hand is going,” Molly said.  “Perhaps it ends up between your thighs?”

“Oh, _ja,_ it is very warm down there.”  Caleb chuckled softly. “I can feel your fingers, Molly.  They’re so cold.  Why not find an even warmer place to put them?”

“My hand slowly travels up your thighs, seeking your warmth.  I press my palm between your legs—what do I feel, Caleb?”

“Um,” Caleb paused.  Molly heard a heavy exhale, and worried that he had breached an uncomfortable subject.  “You do not feel anything, yet, except….ah, perhaps a wet spot?”

“Fuck,” Molly whispered.  “Are you that desperate already?”

“Ja, I am,” Caleb whimpered.  “Almost as desperate as I am in real life.”

Molly groaned.  “Fuck, you’re so hot.  Hot enough that I start to feel my fingers again.  I wiggle them around, pressing against your….” He paused, waiting for Caleb to finish his sentence however he pleased.

“Cunt?  Pussy? I am okay with anything.”

“Yeah, can you feel me, darling?  Rubbing your pussy through your pants.”

Caleb inhaled sharply and released a shaky exhale.  “I’m touching myself, Molly,” he whispered.  Molly felt his cock begin to stir.

“Over your pants, or under?”

“Um, over, for now,” Caleb admitted.  “Keep talking to me, and maybe that will change.”

“Yeah, okay, so if I undo your pants and slip my hand inside, what kind of underwear are you wearing?”

“Boxer briefs.  Um, the kind with the little hole in front?”

“You know what that hole is for, yeah?”  Molly put his hand down the front of his own pajama pants and cupped his cock.  “For sneaking my fingers inside to check how wet you really are.”

“I’m soaked,” Caleb whimpered.

“Mmm, I can feel that.  Your clit is swollen, too, isn’t it, sweetheart?  How does it feel when I start rubbing it?”

“Feel so good, fuck—”  Molly heard a loud gasp and knew that Caleb was rubbing himself for real.

“Put your seat all the way back,” Molly instructed.  “Lie back and let me take care of you, darling.  Let me slide my finger inside your slick cunt while I rub your clit with my thumb.”

Caleb panted heavily, his loud breaths punctuated by little moans.  It was so easy to imagine his flushed face, eyes closed and lips parted.

“I’m gonna make you cum in my car after our first date.  You just couldn’t wait for me, could you? I’m gonna put two fingers in you, now, and I want you to do the same.”

Caleb said nothing, but he let out a high pitched whine.

“That’s a good boy.  Now, imagine me fucking your wet pussy in my car, your steamy breath fogging up my windows.  No one can see in, and it’s so late that no one is outside to hear us.  Be as loud as you want, Caleb.  Let me hear your lovely voice.”

Caleb began moaning on every exhale.  Molly had only heard him cum once over the phone, but Caleb sounded like he was close.

“I want to kiss you, Caleb.  May I?”

“Yes!” Caleb gasped.  Molly had no time to speak again before Caleb cried out.  Molly stroked himself to the sound of Caleb cumming, groaning softly as he imagined the way Caleb would arch up off the chair and grind against Molly’s palm.

“I came,” Caleb gasped, and Molly chuckled.

“I know, sweetheart.  Such a good boy, Caleb.  You sound so beautiful when you cum.”

Molly lied back and lazily jerked himself as he waited for Caleb to recover.  The combination of being physically exhausted and the satisfaction of pleasing Caleb left Molly in no hurry to cum himself.

“I really can’t wait to see you again,” Molly sighed.

“Ja, me too,” Caleb sighed, sounding sleepy.  Molly even heard him yawn.

“You tired, Caleb?” Molly asked, taking his hand out of his pants.

“Mhmm, a bit.  I am happy that I stayed up to talk to you, Molly.”

“Gods, same.”  Molly laughed weakly, knowing that there was nothing he could say with words to show Caleb just how grateful he was.

There was another moment of silence before Caleb murmured, “Hey, Molly?  I thought tieflings were supposed to be warm.”

Molly snorted.  “Not when it’s 20 degrees with a wind chill of go fuck yourself,” he said.

Caleb giggled before going quiet again.  Molly closed his eyes and listened to Caleb’s breathing even out.

“Good night, Caleb,” he whispered when he was sure that Caleb was asleep.  He hung up and snuggled under the covers, falling asleep with his phone on the pillow beside his head.

* * *

When Molly woke up, he felt like he had the best sleep of his life.  He defied bed gravity, as Jester called it, in order to leave an hour ahead of time in preparation for a slow commute due to icy roads.  He took a Lyft to the theater as snow began to fall and ate a leisurely lunch at a cafe nearby.  He arrived early so he could help the cast with their makeup before their last performance of the weekend, hoping that the storm would hold off until the play was over.

Molly gave the performance all that he had, knowing that he would be putting the role of Rosencrantz to bed until next weekend.  When Molly took his final bow, he gazed out into the audience through teary eyes.  Almost everyone was crying backstage, hugging and high-fiving and congratulating each other for a job well done.  Molly eventually pulled himself together, changed out of his costume, and bid them all a good afternoon.

The snow was coming down hard when Molly walked out of the theater.  At least he was dressed for it, bundled up in a proper jacket buttoned over his colorful coat.  He pulled Caleb’s scarf over his ears and nose, blushing as he breathed in the man’s scent.  Gods, Friday was so far away, but it meant that Molly had custody of Caleb’s scarf for another week before he had to give it back.

When Molly turned the corner into the parking lot, his heel hit a patch of ice hidden by the fresh snow.  Molly skidded and fell backwards, his arms flying wildly to try and keep his balance.  He screamed in pain when the back of his head hit the cement.  Molly heard gasps and curses as people rushed towards him, but his peripheral vision was too blurry to see their faces.  Molly groaned and squeezed his eyes shut; he felt woozy and tired and did not care if he slept in the street if it meant that the pain would go away.

“Wake up,” a familiar voice said.  “Molly, open your eyes.  Do not fall asleep right now.”

Molly cracked an eye open to see Caleb hovering over him.  He only realized how dangerous his situation was when he saw the fear in Caleb’s wide, blue eyes.

“Why are you here?” Molly mumbled, weakly.  “Caleb, are you an angel?”

“Absolutely not,” Caleb said, humorlessly.  He put his palm on Molly’s chest when Molly tried to sit up.  “Do not move. An ambulance is on its way.”

“Shit,” Molly groaned.  His eyes fell closed and the world around him vanished.

* * *

Molly slipped in and out of consciousness.  He remembered the flashing lights of the ambulance.  He remembered being rushed through the doors of the emergency room.  Everything was too bright and too loud and Molly _hated_ being strapped to the gurney even more than the throbbing pain in the back of his skull that radiated down his neck and shoulders.

Molly had become more lucid once he had been triaged and put into a real bed in a private room.  He was grateful when the morphine started working and rational thought came back to him.

“Ah, hello,” a man in blue scrubs greeted him.  Without a white coat, Molly assumed that he was a nurse.  “It’s good to see you’re awake.”

“Uhh,” Molly groaned.  “Where am I?”

“You’re in Northwestern Memorial Hospital.  We brought you here in an ambulance after your accident.  Your husband is waiting outside.”

“My….husband?” Molly asked, suddenly worried that he had amnesia or something.  When did he get married? Who did he get married to? Did he have kids, too? Why could he not remember any of their faces?

“Yes,” said the nurse.  “He can come in as soon as you can answer some questions for me.”

“Uhh,” Molly groaned, wishing he did not have to talk at all.

“Do you remember your name?”

“Name’s Mollymauk,” he slurred, his tongue feeling thick from the morphine.  “Molly to my friends.”

“Good,” said the nurse, writing something on a clipboard.  “Do you know why you’re here?”

“I fell.  Hit my head.”

“Good, good.  Where were you when you fell?”

“Leaving the theater,” Molly mumbled.  “Uh, walking to my car.”

“That’s good, Molly.  We will have to run some tests, but since you’re alert and answering questions, you should recover sooner than later.  The doctor will be with you shortly.”

Molly was relieved when the nurse took his clipboard and left, but he only had a few moments of peace before the door opened again.  Molly groaned in irritation, but his mood lifted when he saw Caleb in the doorway.

“Hello, my darling husband,” Molly said with a lopsided smile.

Caleb pulled up a chair next to Molly’s bed and sat, blushing and avoiding Molly’s eyes.

“ _Ja,_ um, I might have told them I was your husband so I could ride in the ambulance with you.”

“You rode….with me?”

“ _Ja._ ” Caleb nodded.  “You do not remember?”

Molly giggled, a high-pitched sound that hurt his ears.  “You have the play the part now.  I think it’s a crime to lie to a doctor.  Don’t go to jail, Caleb.”

Caleb scooted his chair closer to the bed and took Molly’s hand, the one without the IV, in his own.  “Is this convincing enough?” he asked, rubbing his thumb over Molly’s knuckles.

“Yeah, but you’ll have to kiss me when the doctor comes in.”  Molly smiled wider when he saw Caleb’s blush darken.

“I do not want our first kiss to be in the hospital with you hopped up on morphine,” Caleb explained.

“Aww, but—”

“Shush,” Caleb interrupted.  “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was hit by a fucking bus,” Molly replied.  “My head kills and my neck is stiff and ugh, this sucks.”

“It could have been so much worse,” Caleb reminded him.  “I thought that losing consciousness for more than a few seconds was really bad.  You were talking to me, though, in the ambulance. I could not make sense of any of it, but it was good to hear your voice.”

“You’re so sweet,” Molly said.  “Why were you at the theater, though?”

“I, ah….might have seen your play again,” Caleb admitted, shyly.  “There were a couple of empty seats in the back, so they let me buy a ticket at the door.”

“Oh,” Molly sighed, feeling another dose of morphine hit.  “Mmm, these drugs are nice.”

Caleb laughed and squeezed Molly’s hand.  “They will take good care of you here.”

“Can I sleep?” Molly asked.  He felt weak and helpless, looking to Caleb for permission.

“Um, I am not the doctor, but I think that would be alright.”

“Okay,” Molly said, squeezing Caleb’s hand back.  “Stay here with me?”

“Of course, Molly,” Caleb said.  He was smiling when Molly closed his eyes.

Despite his accident and despite making an utter fool of himself in front of Caleb and a crowd of people who had just seen him onstage, Molly felt lucky for what he had—his health, his memories, and his cherished new friend.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Sarah for proofreading!

Molly had slept soundly until he had been wheeled away to undergo testing.  Up to that point, he had not considered the danger that he was in, and it had not been until he was confined inside the MRI machine that he had begun to fear for his life.  He had imagined his brain mashed and mangled inside of his skull and had felt his heart begin to skip and race.  The doctor had insisted that Molly would be fine, but had also said that they would not know for sure until they looked over the results of his MRI and CT scans.

Molly had spent the longest night of his life in a heightened state of sickening anxiety and he believed that he had only made it through because Caleb had been at his side.  If it had been one week earlier, Molly would have been in the hospital, alone.

“Don’t you have to work?” Molly had asked when he had realized the clock read 9:45 P.M.

“Not tonight,” Caleb had said, gazing at Molly with concern in his eyes.  “You are, um, this is more important.”

Molly had blushed and held his hand out, palm up.  Caleb had taken it, and the two had fallen into a mutually uncomfortable silence while they waited for the doctor to return.

Molly had begun testing at 11:30 P.M., and had almost given up hope that he would ever see another nurse or doctor again by the time his doctor entered with a packet of what Molly had prayed were his test results.

The doctor had explained that Molly had not sustained permanent damage, and that he should be on his feet within two weeks.  Molly looked at Caleb, who was smiling, and they shared a sigh of relief.  The doctor had also confirmed that Molly did not have whiplash, as they had feared, but the doctor advised him not to move his head or neck too much if he could help it.  Molly’s treatment consisted of painkillers and a lot of rest, and he had been scheduled to leave in the morning.

Sick of lying down, Molly sat beside Caleb in a chair inside the tiny room as they waited for Molly to be officially discharged.  Molly promptly ignored his instruction to not to look at bright screens, so after Caleb had confiscated his phone, he begged Caleb to message Jester for him.

 _(09:00 A.M.) Mollymauk: Hello, Jester. I slipped and fell yesterday and I’m in the hospital. I’m doing well but I have a minor concussion. Please don’t freak out._ _  
_ _(09:05 A.M.) Jester: ummm molly why is your typing all weird?_   
(09:05 A.M.) Jester: were you hacked? are you really in the hospital???

“Um, I do not think she believes me,” Caleb said, frowning at the phone.  “She is asking if you were hacked.”

“Are you typing all proper with capital letters and punctuation?”

Caleb blinked at Molly in confusion.  “ _Ja?_  How else would I compose a message?”

“Give me that,” Molly whined, snatching the phone from Caleb’s hands.

“Wait!”  Caleb’s hand darted after it, but Molly was too quick.  “You aren’t supposed to—”

“You made me sound like a robot, Caleb.  No wonder she thinks I’ve been hacked.” Molly began typing, still holding the phone away from Caleb.

 _(09:06 A.M.) Mollymauk: no its me sorry_ _  
_ _(09:06 A.M.) Mollymauk: ive a concussion so im not supposed to be looking at my phone_ _  
_ _(09:06 A.M.) Mollymauk: my typist is a big shot professor but a terrible impersonator_ _  
_ _(09:07 A.M.) Jester: ummm ok i was worried_ _  
_ _(09:07 A.M.) Jester: wtf happened???_ _  
_ _(09:07 A.M.) Mollymauk: i ate shit and hit my head_ _  
_ _(09:07 A.M.) Mollymauk: thats basically the whole story_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Jester: OH NO!!!! this is all because i wished you good luck before the play isn’t it?? shit, Molly i am SO sorry for cursing you!!!_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Mollymauk: i dont think it counts as a curse if it doesnt happen inside the theater_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Mollymauk: i was at least able to finish the play so_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Mollymauk: i think youre good_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Jester: did your head split open? was there a lot of blood? do you need surgery???_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Mollymauk: no, no and no_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Mollymauk: everything hurts a motherfucker but they just want me to rest and not use my phone or do anything fun_ _  
_ _(09:08 A.M.) Mollymauk: the fall didnt kill me but boredom will_ _  
_ _(09:09 A.M.) Jester: i’m so sorry molly that sucks huuuge dicks_ _  
_ _(09:09 A.M.) Jester: or lots of little tiny dicks i dont know what youre into_ _  
_ _(09:09 A.M.) Mollymauk: speaking of what im into caleb is with me_ _  
_ _(09:09 A.M.) Mollymauk: he stayed with me overnight and i think were married now_ _  
_ _(09:10 A.M.) Jester: wow ok so you really did hit your head_ _  
_ _(09:10 A.M.) Jester: call me when you feel better ok?_ _  
_ _(09:11 A.M.) Mollymauk: will do_   
(09:11 A.M.) Mollymauk: love u <3

Molly closed the messages app before dropping his phone onto Caleb’s lap.  He slouched in the chair and groaned.

“Why was that so fucking exhausting?” he muttered.

“Your body is using a lot of energy to heal,” Caleb explained, as if Molly had wanted a serious answer and not just an ear to complain to, “and having a conversation uses a lot of brain power.  So does reading and typing.  Everything you do in the next couple of days will be tiring until you are better.”

“Gods, you make it sound so bleak.”

“It is why you need to rest, Mollymauk.”

Something warm stirred in Molly’s belly—so _that_ was what his full name sounded like on Caleb’s lips.

“Yes, sir,” Molly pouted and crossed his arms.

* * *

Molly’s apartment was freezing cold when he walked inside, closely spotted by Caleb in case he began to fall.  He turned on the lights and bumped the thermostat up to 65ºF.

“Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess,” Molly said, looking around at the unfolded laundry and and the stacks of unread mail and the empty mugs on the counter, all within eyeshot of the little dining room that connected the rest of the rooms.

Caleb shrugged.  “It is better than mine,” he said.  “Less clutter, no cat hair.”

“Oh!  Your cat, has he been fed?”  Molly remembered the cute spotted bengal from Caleb’s photo.

“J _a,_ of course,” Caleb nodded.  “My friend Nott takes care of him when I work late.  She has my key, so I asked her to visit him last night.”

“That’s good,” Molly said, walking towards the bedroom.  “They don’t allow pets here.” He paused.  “How do you feel about birds?”

“Ah….noisy,” Caleb said, and Molly laughed.

“I don’t think I’m ready to take care of a pet,” Molly thought out loud as he undressed to his t-shirt and pulled on a zip-up hoodie.  “I can barely take care of myself, as you can see.”

“That is kind of you to consider,” Caleb said with a smile.  “Many people get pets and do not realize that it takes time and energy to care for them.”

Molly sat on the edge of the bed and sighed loudly.  “Yeah….fuck, I’m dizzy,” he muttered, bracing himself with his hands out behind him.

Caleb pulled back the covers, fluffed a pillow and patted the mattress.  “Come lie down, Molly,” he instructed.  Molly scooted backwards and slowly lowered his head onto the pillow with a groan.  Caleb covered him with the sheets and quilt and Molly shivered until his body heat warmed up the space under the covers.

“Hey, thanks—I mean, for everything,” Molly called out as Caleb putted around the apartment, gathering things Molly might need, pouring Molly a tall glass of water and setting it and his medication on the bedside table.

“Ah, _nein,_ it is no problem.  I do not mind helping out a friend in need,” Caleb said, glancing at Molly.  “We are friends, ja?”

“ _Ja,_ ” Molly echoed, smiling wide.  “We are friends.”

Caleb sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair out of Molly’s eyes.

“Hmm, you have not eaten since yesterday,” Caleb said.  “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?”

“Not really,” Molly said.  “Meds are kinda making me nauseous.”

“Ah, I was not asking.  I am getting you food, Molly.  Pick something.”

“Surprise me?”

They stared at each other for a moment before Caleb leaned down and softly kissed Molly’s forehead.  Molly’s face turned deep burgundy while Caleb smiled shyly and stood up.

“I will leave your cell phone here, but only for emergencies, _ja?_  No texting,” Caleb said, fishing Molly’s phone out of his pocket and setting it on the table.  “Get some rest, Molly.  I will be back soon.”

Molly heard the door open and close, and stared at the ceiling.  What a bizarre turn his life had taken.  Spending the night in the hospital with Caleb had drawn Molly closer to him, and Molly wondered if Caleb felt the same way.  Surely, Caleb would not be so concerned for someone he had just met if he did not like them, even a little bit.  Molly tried to stay awake until Caleb returned, but he quickly drifted off to the memory of Caleb’s warm hand in his own.

* * *

It took Molly a few moments to take in his surroundings.  He did not remember falling asleep, but from the sunlight filtering in through the window to the east, he knew that it was early morning.  When he looked down to investigate the warm pressure against his side, he was surprised to see Caleb curled up on top of the covers.  He gazed adoringly at Caleb’s peaceful face, but he was startled by the realization that his hand was loosely tangled in Caleb’s hair.  He mistakenly jerked his hand away, which stirred Caleb from his sleep.

Caleb slowly sat up and actively avoided Molly’s eyes.  “Um, _guten morgen,_ ” he mumbled.

“Hey,” Molly said, smiling as Caleb pushed the hair out of his face.  “Did you sleep well?”

“Um, _ja,_ ” Caleb said, staring at the indent his body had made in the fluffy down quilt.  “I was tired from the night before and you were asleep when I came back, so I, ah….I hope I did not make this awkward.”

“Do you see me complaining?” Molly asked, reaching out to cup Caleb’s cheek.  Caleb inhaled sharply but eventually relaxed enough to lean into Molly’s touch.  He still looked sleepy and absolutely adorable.  “Were you warm enough, darling? Perhaps next time you should join me under the covers.”

Caleb opened and closed his mouth and Molly grinned, having rendered the man speechless.  “Come here, Caleb,” Molly murmured.  To his delight, Caleb shuffled forward.

Caleb braced himself with a hand on each side of Molly’s waist as Molly propped his back against the headboard.  “Kiss me,” Molly whispered, and Caleb did.

Caleb’s face heated rapidly under Molly’s palm as their mouths moved together, searching for the perfect fit.  Molly was delighted when Caleb opened his mouth first.  He parted his lips and met Caleb’s tongue with the twin prongs of his own, chuckling when Caleb gasped.  Caleb must have noticed Molly’s forked tongue before, but Molly supposed it was the thrill of a new sensation that caused Caleb to shiver.

Caleb’s mouth never left Molly’s, even when he threw his leg over Molly’s waist and settled into Molly’s lap so that he could kiss Molly full-on.  Their tongues danced around each other and Molly drank in Caleb’s breathy sounds as the kiss grew hotter.  The spark of warmth that had started in Molly’s chest was expanding throughout his entire body.  When his arousal began to simmer in his belly, Molly pushed gently on Caleb’s shoulders.  They were both frozen, resisting the magnetic pull of the other’s lips as they panted softly into the space between them.

“ _Scheisse,_ I have to go,” Caleb said, his voice strained.  “I have to work.  Um, I am not running away this time, I promise.”

Molly smiled and rested their foreheads together.   “I know,” he sighed. “Get up, before I decide to keep you here.”

Caleb reluctantly slid off the bed and leered at Molly.  “Do not tempt me, Mollymauk,” he said, hastily putting on his coat and shoes.  “Fuck, I am going to be late if I go home for my materials,” Caleb hissed under his breath.

“Shit, I would let you borrow my car if it wasn’t still at the theater,” Molly offered.

“ _Nein, nein,_ I will have to do the lesson from memory.  Thank you, but I cannot drive in the city.”

“Somehow, I don’t think that’ll be a problem for you, Professor Widogast,” Molly said, smirking.

“I am not a professor,” Caleb said.  He slung his bag over his shoulder and hesitated for a moment before leaning over Molly and kissing him on the cheek.  “I will see you soon,” he said, and left the apartment.

Molly listened to Caleb’s footsteps fade away.  He sighed and shuffled under the covers.  His head throbbed dully, but at least the pain was bearable.  Molly was sick of painkillers, sick of the side effects that made him feel like he was underwater.

There was a faint, greasy smell in the air that made Molly’s stomach growl, reminding him that he had not eaten in two days.  Molly looked around for the source of the smell and discovered the bag of fast food that Caleb had left on the bedside table.  He was so hungry that even cold, day-old chicken tenders tasted amazing, and with a full belly, Molly was able to fall asleep.

* * *

The rest of the week had been as boring and uneventful as Molly had anticipated.  He was grateful for the opportunity to rest; the theater had been sympathetic towards him when he had called to explain the nature of his accident, telling him to keep them updated and to take care of himself.  But Molly was used to working full days and coming home tired—the kind of tired he felt he had earned, not the kind of tired that Molly now felt after taking a shower or making an easy dinner or simply sitting up for too long.  Acting had given Molly a purpose, and without it, he began to feel depressed.

When Molly was not sleeping, he passed the time by listening to the TV, binging podcasts and counting down the hours until Jester got off work so he could listen to her talk about her day.  He missed being around people, but spending time with Jester had at least kept him sane.

Molly had begun missing Caleb as soon as he had left for work on Tuesday.  Molly’s heart had done little flips of joy whenever Caleb had texted him, even if it was only to ask if Molly had needed anything from the store.  Molly had thought about making something up just so that he could see Caleb’s face, but he had been unable to bring himself to interrupt Caleb’s busy schedule for something so petty.

By Saturday, Molly could not stand being in bed any longer.  He was able to sit up all morning, take a shower, venture outside for a quick meal at a sandwich shop around the block, and look at his computer screen without getting a headache.  He hoped that by Monday he could return to work and put his miserable accident behind him.

Molly was scrolling through Facebook, catching up on his friends’ updates from the past week.  He was debating on whether or not he should send Caleb a friend request when his phone buzzed and nearly spooked him out of his skin.

_(05:35 P.M.) Caleb: Hi, Molly.  If you’re feeling up to it, would you like to have dinner with me?_

Molly’s face cracked into a wide smile and his tail flicked wildly behind him as he replied.

 _(05:35 P.M.) Mollymauk: darling i thought youd never ask_ _  
_ _(05:35 P.M.) Mollymauk: meet me at the theater ok?_ _  
_ _(05:35 P.M.) Mollymauk: we can take my car_ _  
_ _(05:35 P.M.) Caleb: Are you alright to drive?_ _  
_ _(05:35 P.M.) Mollymauk: its been so long i dont know if i remember how_ _  
_ _(05:35 P.M.) Mollymauk: but yes_ _  
_ _(05:36 P.M.) Caleb: I’ll meet you there at 6._   
(05:35 P.M.) Mollymauk: great!!!!! cant wait to see you caleb ;)

Molly abandoned his computer, took another quick shower and fussed over what to wear.  He settled on a button-down shirt with subtly embroidered sleeves, skinny black jeans that showed off his ass, and of course, his favorite ostentatious coat.  He affixed his horns with jewelry and blew a kiss to the mirror before calling a Lyft and rushing down the stairs.  About halfway down, he ran back inside to grab Caleb’s scarf that had been sitting on top of his dresser all week.  Molly triple-checked his pockets for his phone, keys and wallet while he paced around the front of his apartment to try and dispel some of his pent-up energy.

He chatted idly with the driver, but his mind was on Caleb.  The course of their relationship had been unconventional at best, but that was no matter—they were finally going on a proper date, and Molly’s nerves were alight with excitement and anticipation.  Everything would be fine, he assured himself.  No slips and falls or hospital visits or stupid theater curses could keep him from making this date the best he had ever had.  His heart pounded when he saw Caleb slouching awkwardly in front of the theater.  He tipped the driver generously and bolted out the door before the car came to a full stop.

“Caleb!” Molly shouted as he ran towards Caleb, who perked up at the sight of the tiefling.  Molly nearly barreled into Caleb with his arms open but stopped when Caleb flinched away.  “Sorry,” he said, but Caleb stepped forward and hugged Molly instead.

“Hi, Molly,” Caleb said, pulling back and smiling.  “It is good to see you are feeling better.”

“Much better, now that I get to see you,” Molly replied with a toothy grin.

“Ah, are you going to be like this all night?” Caleb asked, playfully.

“Don’t pretend you don’t like a little sweet talk,” Molly answered, but made a mental note to tone down his charm.  He took the scarf from his neck and wrapped it loosely around Caleb’s.  “I believe this is yours.”

“Oh, _ja,_ thank you, Molly,” Caleb said.  “I hope it kept you warm.”

“Yeah,” Molly replied, smiling as Caleb adjusted the scarf.  “It looks better on you, though.”

Caleb giggled and looked towards the parking lot.  “Um, do you have a preference about where to go for dinner?”

Molly thought for a moment as they walked to the car and realized that he knew nothing about proper restaurants in the area.  “I was hoping that you had something in mind.”

“Well, there is a nice 50’s style diner a little ways away,” Caleb said.  “It is a bit of a drive, so I understand if you do not feel like traveling that far, but—”

“Say no more,” Molly interrupted.  He sighed in relief when the car started normally despite the cold and the engine’s disuse.  “Just lead the way, Caleb.”

Caleb gave directions like a human GPS, and after about fifteen minutes of driving, they pulled into the parking lot of small building with a neon pink sign that read _“Diner”_ on the front.

The hostess seated them in a booth near the back of the restaurant.  The atmosphere was friendly and there were a few couples and a family with kids scattered about the room.  Molly was glad that they were relatively alone; he selfishly wanted Caleb’s undivided attention, but from the way Caleb’s eyes kept flickering to Molly’s between reading the menu and averting them for comfort, Molly did not think that would be a problem.

“Chicken and waffles,” Molly announced, setting his menu down.

“Ah?” Caleb looked up.  “Together?”

“That’s what it says.”

“I will probably just get, um, a burger.”

“How about one of these milkshakes?”

Caleb found it on the menu, mumbling, “Expensive.”

“And big.  We could share?  Two straws, one giant glass.”

“Oh...”  Caleb blushed and Molly guessed that he had imagined it.  “ _J-ja,_ I could go for that.”

“Great!” Molly said, setting both menus on the edge of the table.  He waved down the waitress and they both ordered their meals.  The milkshake came out first and Molly stared with wide eyes—it was even bigger in person, nearly engulfing the bendy straws with whipped cream.

Molly and Caleb chatted while they both leaned their elbows on the table to reach their straws.  Caleb came up with whipped cream on his nose and it took Molly a great deal of self-control to keep himself from leaning over the table and licking the cream from Caleb’s face.  He thought it would be best not to traumatize the man on their first date.

The food was not amazing, but it was good enough that they both ate in silence.  It seemed to Molly that all diner food tasted the same no matter where the restaurant was located.  He supposed that familiarity, alongside the atmosphere, was part of the charm.  He knew what to expect and his expectations were always met, although Molly had never considered putting chicken on waffles and calling it a meal.

“Mmm, that was good,” Caleb hummed, slouching a little on his side of the booth while Molly did the same.  It was wonderful to feel full after existing off of scrambled eggs, canned soup and lunch meats for a week.

“Shall we go?” Molly asked.  “Ah, unless you want dessert?”

“Ugh, no way,” Caleb groaned.  “There was enough sugar in that milkshake to make me never want to eat sweets again.”

Molly laughed.  “Yeah, until next time.”

“ _Ja._ ”  Caleb smiled.  “Next time.”

Molly beamed at the hint that there would be yet another next time in the future.

“Shall we go?” Molly asked, pushing his plate away and trying to make eye contact with the waitress.  He pulled his wallet out and noticed that Caleb was doing the same.

“Hey, let me,” Molly said, putting his hand over Caleb’s before he could open his wallet.  “I owe you dinner.  You know, for the other night, when—”

“Molly, you know that was not a proper transaction—”

“Gods, Caleb, _please,_ ” Molly groaned.  “Don’t make me beg to buy you dinner.”  He leaned in closer and lowered his voice.  “Unless you want me to.  I will get on my knees right here and beg.”

“Please don’t.”  Caleb looked fearful for a second before Molly started laughing.  “ _Ja,_ okay, fine.  I will get the next bill.”

“You just said this wasn’t a proper transaction!” Molly argued.  Caleb sighed and pocketed his wallet in defeat.

“Thank you, Molly,” Caleb said.

“You’re welcome, darling,” Molly replied, sweetly.

Once Molly had paid, they made their way back to Molly’s car.  It had gotten even colder since they had arrived, and Molly was relieved when the car warmed quickly.  Molly sighed and looked down at wheel, putting his hands around it but making no effort to move the car.

“Are you alright, Molly?” Caleb asked, softly.

“Yeah, sorry,” Molly said.  Truthfully, his heart ached, perhaps more than it had when he had been pining for Caleb all week.  He had Caleb in his car and was about to drop him off at home.  Molly would then return to his own apartment and spend the night in the lonely room he had grown so sick of during the week that the thought of it made his stomach hurt.

Caleb frowned and put a hand on Molly’s elbow.  “If something is wrong, you can tell me.”

“It’s….it’s selfish,” Molly started.  “It’s completely ridiculous how much I missed you this week.  I wish you’d stay at my place again tonight.”

“I have to work until midnight, Molly, I can’t—”

“I know.  You wouldn’t be comfortable doing it at my place and, yeah, I understand, but….”  Molly trailed off and there was a long moment of silence before he looked at Caleb.  “What if I was _really_ quiet, would you let me come over—shit, that sounds like I’m inviting myself.  Um, never mind.”

“ _Ja,_ if you were quiet,” Caleb said, the corners of his lips twitching into a little smirk.  “But I doubt you could be.”

“You haven’t given me a chance,” Molly pouted.

“Hmm, should I?”

“Don’t let me talk you into something you aren’t comfortable with.”

“Show me how much you want to spend the night with me, Mollymauk,” Caleb taunted, smirk still in place.

Warmth bloomed in Molly’s belly when he realized the implications of Caleb’s request.  He dropped his hands from the wheel and turned his body to face Caleb.  Caleb seemed to be waiting for something.  Molly reached out to cup Caleb’s jaw . He dragged his thumb over Caleb’s lips before leaning in and pressing their mouths together.

Caleb reciprocated by parting his lips and coaxing Molly’s tongue into his mouth.  Molly moaned when he felt Caleb’s hands grip his hair and hold his head in place while they kissed.  Molly explored Caleb’s mouth, tentatively at first, then he let his hunger take over. He sucked Caleb’s lips between his teeth, lapped at the insides of his cheeks and wrestled with his tongue until both men were breathing heavily.

It was Caleb who pressed a hand to Molly’s chest and backed away.  Molly held his breath, bracing himself for rejection.

“As much as I would like to act out our car sex fantasy, I really do have to go home,” Caleb said, his voice shaky.  “Perhaps we can continue when I am done working.”

Molly released his breath and giggled.  He sat back in his seat and drove out of the parking lot and onto the road.  “I should get us home soon, then,” he said, being extra careful to keep under the speed limit while he took the shortest route to Caleb’s apartment.  “I wouldn’t want you to be late for work.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the last chapter of my first multi-chapter fic. I never thought I would write anything this long, but here we are at 30k+ words. Thank you so much for leaving comments and kudos, your support means so much to keep and inspires me to keep writing. 
> 
> Much thanks to everyone from the widomauk discord who offered to proofread this fic and offer suggestions and ideas. Y'all are fantastic.
> 
> Note: Caleb is a trans man in this fic and I uses feminine-coded language to describe his genitals.

Molly followed Caleb into his studio apartment.  It was small and cluttered, but on closer inspection, it seemed like everything was organized.  Caleb probably knew exactly where everything was at any given time.  Books that did not fit on the bookshelves were stacked in neat piles in the corners and, apart from a couple of mugs, there were no dirty dishes or unfolded clothes lying around.  As they passed the kitchen, Molly saw what looked like student papers spread out across the table, ready to be graded.  So Caleb was one of _those_ teachers, Molly thought, who still required students to hand in printed copies of their work.

They entered a room with a couch and a reclining chair beside another bookshelf.  Molly had not seen a TV yet, but that did not surprise him.

“So, ah, this is it,” Caleb said, turning on lamps as he circled the room.  “I know it isn’t much, but it is….home.”

“It’s cozy,” Molly said, taking a seat in the big chair.  He scanned the bookshelf; the books on it looked like reading books, as opposed to the textbooks he had seen before.  He leaned back and smiled, thinking about how much time Caleb must have spent in this chair, just reading and relaxing.

“You wear glasses?” Molly asked when he noticed the pair atop the bookshelf.

“Sometimes,” Caleb said.  “I wear contacts, but at the end of the day my eyes get tired.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.  I bet you look handsome in them.”

“ _Nein,_ ” Caleb protested, blushing a little.  “They are just glasses.”

Molly carefully picked up the glasses and held them out to Caleb.  “Please?”

Caleb sighed and put them on.  He blinked at Molly through the glass, which was surrounded by delicate, metal frames.  

“Gods, I was right,” Molly said, standing and gently touching Caleb’s jaw.  “You really look like a sexy professor.”

Caleb blushed harder.  “I am neither of those things, Molly,” he said.

“Oh, come on, meet me halfway?”

“Well, one day I will get my doctorate,” Caleb said, leaning into Molly’s touch.  He removed the glasses, placing them back on the bookshelf.  Molly was about to argue when he felt something brush against his ankles.

“Oh, _hallo,_ Frumpkin,” Caleb said, bending to pick up the cat who had wandered into the room.  He held the spotted Bengal to his chest like a baby.

“Frumpkin,” Molly repeated, watching the cat lick Caleb’s chin with his little pink tongue.

“ _Ja,_ say hi to Molly, Frumpkin.”  He turned Frumpkin around, but the cat hissed when Molly tried to take him.

“Ah, well, he does not like everybody at first,” Caleb said apologetically, scratching Frumpkin between the ears.  “If you stay around long enough, he will warm up to you.”

Molly chuckled.  “I’ll have to come by more often, then.”

“Frumpkin would like that,” Caleb said, giving Frumpkin’s furry head a kiss before depositing him on the floor.  Molly watched Frumpkin take off down the hall, then looked back to Caleb.

“It’s almost nine,” Molly murmured, glancing at the clock on the wall.  “Where do you do it? Um, your work?”

“I usually sit out here.”  Caleb nodded towards the couch.

“Can I—um, would you like me to go—”

“You can stay,” Caleb said.  “I do not mind if you are here, as long as you are quiet.”  

“Fuck, seriously?”  Molly’s tail twitched in excitement.

“Um, you can go to my room instead.  My bed is not big but it is comfortable.”

“Caleb,” Molly breathed, stepping closer and placing his hands on Caleb’s hips.  “I’m not going to pass up the chance to watch you work behind the scenes.”

“Okay,” Caleb laughed.  “Then you must follow my instructions.  Sit right there.” He pointed to the chair.  “No talking.  No touching.”

“When you say no touching, do you mean—”

“Me, or yourself,” Caleb firmly clarified.  “You will be good, Mollymauk.”

“I’ll do my best,” Molly said, smirking and trying not to show the shiver that ran down his spine.  He kissed the corner of Caleb’s mouth before sitting down.  He crossed his legs and linked his fingers together atop his knee, eagerly waiting for Caleb’s first call.

Caleb made himself comfortable on the couch, propping himself up with his back against the armrest with his legs out in front of him.  It was only two minutes after 9:00 when Caleb’s phone rang.  He smiled at Molly and held the phone to his ear.

“ _Hallo?_  Hi, my name is Colby.  Is this your first time calling?”

Molly was pleasantly surprised by how thick Caleb’s accent became when he took on the persona of Colby.  He hadn’t realized it when he had first called, but Molly was so used to Caleb’s voice by now that he noticed the difference.  Molly huffed a quiet laugh.  Of course people wanted the full German experience.

“Oh, you have such a sexy voice.  I want to hear you purr for me, baby.”  Caleb giggled at something the person on the other end said.  Molly wished he could hear both sides of the conversation, but he knew that would be unethical.

“Mmm, what would you like to do to me?  Fuck, that sounds hot. I am yours tonight, baby.  Mmm, ten inches? I do not know if that will fit.  I am very tight.”

Molly blushed and put a hand over his mouth.  He was unsure if he found this hot or funny, but it flustered him all the same.

“Oh, I am so hard already.  The sound of your voice is driving me crazy.  Mmm, _ja_ , take your cock out for me.  I am already stroking myself.”

Molly bit his lip to keep himself from breaking into a full grin.  Caleb sat motionless on the couch, fully dressed while he described his raging boner to the unassuming caller.  This would be quite the show, but for different reasons than Molly had thought.

“Ah!  Your big cock feels so tight.  Gods, just the head feels like it is splitting me open.   _Ja,_ keep going, keep fucking me.  I want all of you, baby—oh? Are you there already?  Mmm, cum in my ass, baby.   _Ja_ , fuck, fill me, fill me up.  I will be leaking your cum for days.”

Molly was biting his knuckles to keep himself quiet.  When Caleb ended the call, Molly burst into a fit of laughter, hunching over while he cackled.  “I’m sorry!” he whined when Caleb rolled his eyes. “It’s just—it’s so funny only hearing half of the conversation.  Fuck, Caleb, you sound like a porn star.”

“I am, basically,” Caleb said, shrugging.  “This is what people want to hear.”

“I know, I know.”  Molly took a deep breath and grounded himself.  “He didn’t last long, though, did he? That took two minutes!”

“Not many people do,” Caleb explained.  “By the time they call me, they are usually already on the edge.”

“Hmm, maybe you are just _that_ sexy,” Molly suggested with a smirk.

Caleb had no time to retort before the phone rang again.  He greeted the caller, waited a short while, then held the phone away from his ear.  Even off speaker, Molly could hear loud, breathy moaning through the phone.  The moans turned to high-pitched whines and eventually descended into a drawn out groan before the caller hung up.  Molly tilted his head and Caleb put the phone down on his stomach.

“That happens a lot, too,” Caleb said, stone-faced.

Molly raised an eyebrow.  “You didn’t hang up?”

“Of course not.  I would not rob someone of the opportunity to pay me while I listen to them cum.”

“So where are all your sexy callers?” Molly asked.

“What, are you not having fun yet?” Caleb teased.  “I am afraid that I have my only sexy caller sitting in my living room.”

Caleb’s cheeks darkened as soon as he spoke the words that made Molly’s skin prickle with goosebumps.  Their eyes met briefly before Caleb’s phone rang again.

“Hallo?   _Ja, hallo,_ my name is Colby.  What can I do for you tonight?  Ah, you want me to have my way with you, hmm?  I like a man who knows what he wants.  Hmm, that depends—you will be a good boy and do what I say, or I will not touch you at all.  Understood?”

Caleb’s tone switched from sensual to firm in a fraction of a second.  Molly’s heart beat faster and he felt a familiar warmth wash over him.

“Get on your knees for me,” Caleb ordered.  Molly felt a strong urge to obey when he watched Caleb sit up on the couch and put his feet on the floor.

“On your knees,” Caleb repeated, this time looking directly at Molly.  Caleb pointed to the floor and Molly inhaled sharply.   _He means me,_ Molly realized, and sank to his knees in front of Caleb.  “Good boy,” Caleb purred into the receiver, making Molly’s cock stiffen.

“You are so beautiful like this,” Caleb said, stroking his free hand through Molly’s hair.  “I am so lucky to have such a handsome man on his knees for me.  Ah, you want to suck my cock?  You may, but you are not allowed to touch yourself.  Understood?”

Molly looked curiously up at Caleb, unsure if Caleb was still addressing him or not.  When Molly leaned forward, Caleb stopped him with a hand on Molly’s shoulder and shook his head.

“Mmm, your mouth feels so good around my cock,” Caleb continued.  He unbuttoned his pants and, with Molly’s help, shimmied out of them.  Caleb spread his legs, exposing his gray boxer briefs.  “Oh, are you?” Caleb giggled.  “Fuck, that is so hot.  Suck on it and pretend it is my cock sliding down your throat.  Mmm, baby, let me hear you.”

Caleb tugged on the front of his underwear, revealing the subtle outline of his clit and pussy lips.  Molly stared at the crease in the fabric where it was pulled tight between Caleb’s slit and let out a shuddering sigh when he saw a dark spot begin to form between it.  Gods, Molly wanted to dive between Caleb’s legs, but there was no way that he would let an anonymous caller last longer than him. Molly would prove to Caleb that he could be a good boy, too.

“You better not be touching yourself,” Caleb warned.  “I can hear your heavy breathing, but that must be your desire for me, _ja?_  You poor thing—you cannot breathe very well with my big cock in your pretty mouth, can you?  That is alright.  I can use your mouth for other things, you know.  I want you to eat me out.”

Molly was quickly losing his composure.  His cock strained uncomfortably against his jeans.  He did not dare to put his hands anywhere near his crotch, so he tucked his hands under his shins to keep them from wandering.

“Ja, eat my ass.  Fuck my tight hole with your talented tongue—mmm, _ja,_ baby, there you go.”

Molly’s eyes widened when Caleb dangled his fingers between his legs.  As far as Molly knew, Caleb did not touch himself for just anyone, so he wondered if Caleb would be jerking off with this caller anyway, or if he was indeed putting on a show for Molly.  Either way, Molly watched Caleb drag a finger over the wet fabric.  When he pushed against his slit, more of Caleb’s desire further darkened the gray material.  The rest of the call was lost to Molly as he watched the dark spot grow while Caleb played with himself.  Eventually, Caleb ended the call and rolled his head back with a sigh.  Molly licked his lips, feeling heady from the scent of Caleb’s musky arousal.

“You don’t look so professional, now,” Molly teased.  “That one got to you, hmm?”

“You could say that,” Caleb answered.  He had pulled his hand away and rested it on his thigh.  “You could also say my favorite caller is having a certain effect on me, even though he is not calling.”

“What effect would that be?” Molly asked, looking up at Caleb with the most innocent smile he could manage.

“Take a look for yourself,” Caleb said.  He hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his boxers and slid them down and off his legs.  Molly hummed when he saw Caleb’s glistening cunt with desire dripping from between dark, swollen lips.

“You’re horrible, Caleb,” Molly whined, “We have two more hours to go.”

“I can put it away—”

“No!” Molly cried.  “Gods, I could watch you all night, but can I—would it be okay if I unbuttoned my pants?  Nothing more, I promise.”

“No touching,” Caleb reiterated.  He leaned down to unbutton Molly’s pants for him.  Molly gasped when Caleb’s knuckles brushed against his hard length.  Caleb hummed and sat back, lifting his knees and putting both feet flat on the couch.  “Is that better? I am sorry, your poor cock must have been so cramped inside your tight pants.”

“Thank you, Caleb, it is,” Molly answered gratefully.  His dick still tented his underwear, but at least the constricting pressure was gone.  Caleb pet Molly’s hair for a few moments until the phone rang.

Molly phased in and out of the one-sided conversation, too distracted by Caleb’s cunt and the hand in his hair to give a shit about Caleb’s fake porn star moans.  What Molly had was so much better than anything Caleb’s callers could dream of, and he was counting down the minutes until all of it could be _his._

Molly whimpered loudly when he heard Caleb say, “if you are good, maybe I will let you fuck me.”  And, gods, Molly had been good.  He had been so fucking good and he wanted to fuck Caleb _now._  He opened his mouth to beg, _please,_ but found it stuffed with Caleb’s discarded underwear before any words came out.  Molly moaned in protest but the material absorbed most of the sound.

Molly winced at first; the fabric was dry and unpleasant against the inside of his mouth, but he relaxed when the soiled wet patch touched his tongue.  The combination of Caleb’s smell and taste was more powerful than any sedative, and Molly was happy to keep his makeshift gag until Caleb took it away.  Caleb frowned at Molly when the caller hung up.  "You are a performer, ja?” he said, and Molly nodded. “Then you know how important it is to be quiet backstage.”

There were plenty of heavy breathers and others who wanted to dump their vanilla fantasies on anyone who would listen.  There was, however, one call that piqued Molly’s interest.  He began listening to Caleb describe how he would fuck the caller with such aggression that Molly peeled his eyes away from Caleb’s pussy to watch his face.

Caleb was flushed and panting, using such a thick accent that Molly struggled to understand some words.  Molly was convinced that Caleb was getting off on giving orders, truly caught in the fantasy that he could throw a man down and physically fuck him against a wall or into a mattress—it was hard to tell if Caleb or even the other person had a concrete idea of on which surface they were doing the deed.  Molly wondered if working for the sex hotline brought Caleb any relief from having to live with a vagina. He had never asked Caleb’s plans or preferences, but he did notice that Caleb’s clit had grown past its sheath since Caleb had begun describing how he came deep inside the mystery man’s asshole.  He bid the caller a good night and hung up.

“Ah, that looks like all we have time for,” Caleb said, checking the time on his phone.  He stretched out his legs, sat up straight and pulled himself together.  “Mollymauk? How are you doing down there?”

With Molly’s mouth still stuffed, all he could do was groan and thump his tail on the carpet.

“Ah, sorry,” Caleb murmured.  He pulled the underwear from Molly’s mouth and gave him time to swallow and wet his lips.  Molly scraped pieces of cotton fuzz from his teeth and spit before grinning at Caleb.

“That was fucking _hot,_ ” Molly said, shaking out his wrists from where they had been pinned beneath his legs.  He shifted into a more comfortable position on the floor.  “After the first few calls, I didn’t think it would be so good but, fuck, Caleb, you have talent.”  Molly focused between Caleb’s legs and hummed.  A small puddle of slick had gathered on the couch under Caleb’s ass.  “You got pretty worked up tonight, hmm?”

“Mm, I usually do not have such an encouraging audience.  So, my performance met your expectations?”

“Yes, Caleb, more than,” Molly whispered, leaning forward and grazing Caleb’s thigh with his cheek.  “Was I good? I was, wasn’t I?”

“ _Ja,_ you were very good.  You are my good boy, Molly, and good boys get rewarded.”

Molly shivered visibly and licked his lips.  Caleb’s cunt was so close, so wet and tempting.  It was framed by a light patch of trimmed pubic hair, and Molly could not wait to bury his nose in those auburn curls.  “May I?” he asked.

“I will go mad if you do not put your mouth on me right now,” Caleb said, deep and breathy.  He reached down to spread his pussy. “Come, claim your reward.”

That was all Molly needed to hear to press a kiss to the center of Caleb’s cunt.  He flicked his tongue against the soft, pink lips and listened to Caleb sigh above him.  Molly braced himself with his hands on Caleb’s knees as he licked his way to Caleb’s clit with the flat of his tongue.  He took Caleb’s clit between his lips and moaned, sucking the hard nub into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it.

“Fuck, your cock is huge,” Molly whispered and proceeded to suck on Caleb’s clit while Caleb whined from the attention and the praise.  His lips glided smoothly up and down the length.

“Stop, stop, Molly,” Caleb whimpered, suddenly pushing Molly’s forehead away with his palm.  “I will cum if you keep going, and….I do not want to cum yet.”

“Oh, sweetheart, haven’t you tortured yourself long enough?” Molly cooed.

“I want….” Caleb trailed off, then mumbled something unintelligible.

“Hmm?  I didn’t catch that.  What do you want, darling?”

“Your fingers in me,” Caleb whispered.  He lifted his knee and put his foot on the couch and scooted forward.  When Molly looked up at him, Caleb had his hand over his mouth.  He was blushing so hard he looked like he could have had a fever.

“Are you alright, Caleb?” Molly asked, concerned.

“ _Ja, ja,_ I just….I have not done this in, ah, a very long time.”

“I’ll go slow,” Molly offered, smiling warmly.  Gods, Caleb was adorable, and Molly would do anything for him.  “If you want me to stop, just say so, and I will.”

“Th-thank you, Molly,” Caleb said, taking a deep, grounding breath.  He relaxed a little, took his hand away from his face and threaded his fingers through Molly’s hair.

“Mmm, keep that there, please,” Molly purred.  He began to stroke up and down Caleb’s slit, gathering slick on his fingers.  He pushed his middle finger into Caleb’s entrance and felt it squeeze around his finger.  “Okay, Caleb?” he asked.  Caleb nodded and relaxed enough for Molly to push his finger all the way inside.  Molly only moved his finger enough to massage Caleb’s insides until he felt the hand in his hair tighten.

“More,” Caleb whispered, and Molly chuckled.  Molly began to slowly fuck Caleb with his finger, curling it upwards near the opening before burying it to the knuckle when it slid back inside.

“Ready for another?” Molly asked, and Caleb nodded eagerly.  Molly rested his head on Caleb’s thigh as he slowly worked a second finger inside.  He waited patiently as Caleb shivered, clenched down, and relaxed again. “You’re doing so well,” Molly said, pressing a kiss to Caleb’s abdomen while he twisted his fingers inside.  Caleb gasped loudly and immediately clamped his hand over his mouth.

“There’s no need to be shy,” Molly said.  “You were talking so pretty before.  Let me hear you, yeah?”

“That was different,” Caleb argued.  “They were just strangers.”

“I was a stranger, once,” Molly said, “and you took such good care of me.”

 _“Ja,_ but now you are here in person.  You have treated me so well, Molly, and I do not want to disappoint you.”

Molly’s heart swelled and ached.  “Caleb, darling, my sweet boy, there is nothing you could do to disappoint me.  We could turn off the lights if you want to.”

“ _Nein, nein,_ I want to see you.  I just have a bit of, ah, what do you call it, in the theater?”

“Stage fright?  Performance anxiety?”  Molly chuckled.  “I see it all the time, sweetheart.  I’ve seen people go from panicking when they step foot on an empty stage to becoming fantastic performers in no time at all.  There is nothing wrong with being nervous or shy; you can cover your face if it makes you feel comfortable.”

Caleb sighed and smiled, moving his hand from Molly’s hair to stroke his cheek.  “You are too good to me, Mollymauk,” he said, his voice shaking.  “I am not used to such patience or kindness.”

“You deserve it,” Molly assured him.  “Let me show you how grateful I am to be the one you took home tonight.”

“Give me three fingers,” Caleb said, some of the energy returning to his voice.  “Then I will be the grateful one, _ja?_ ”

Molly grinned wide, more than happy to oblige.  Caleb’s pussy had opened up so much that Molly could effortlessly slide a third finger in alongside the other two.  Caleb moaned when Molly began to move them, encouraged by Caleb’s rolling hips.

“Mmm, that’s what I like to hear,” Molly growled before he took Caleb’s clit back into his mouth.  He flicked it with both prongs of his tongue, drawing all sorts of noises from Caleb while he sucked.

“I’m close, Molly,” Caleb warned.  “Feels so good, ah, fuck—”

Molly hummed in recognition and thrust his fingers so deep that he brushed over Caleb’s g-spot.  

“ _Ja,_ just like that, keep doing that—gonna cum—oh, _scheisse!_ ”

The sound of Caleb’s voice was like a song Molly wanted to be stuck in his head forever.  He prodded Caleb’s g-spot a few more times before Caleb arched his back and cried out, spraying cum down Molly’s wrist and splashing his neck.  Molly pulled his head away once he realized what was happening and was shot in the face by another squirt, followed by another as Caleb’s cunt contracted powerfully around Molly’s fingers.

Caleb gasped and closed his legs, forcing Molly’s hand away.  “Sorry, I’m sorry, fuck, I’m sorry—I forgot to warn you that I was….that I am…”

“A squirter?” Molly supplied, rubbing his eyes on the back of his clean hand.

“I should have told you!  I’m so sorry—”

“Breathe, Caleb,” Molly said, helping Caleb lower his leg from the couch.  “Listen, that was the hottest thing anyone has ever done to me.”

“Seriously?  You are all wet—are you not mad?”

“Of course not,” Molly said, wiping his face and licking his fingers clean.  “Fuck, Caleb, you’re amazing.”

Molly began cleaning Caleb’s slit, his thighs, even licking down the cleft of Caleb’s ass while Caleb slouched, limp from his powerful orgasm.  The puddle on the couch had overflowed and was dripping onto the floor, but Caleb did not seem to care at the moment.

“Come up here,” Caleb said, breathlessly, his voice strained.

Molly grunted as he pulled himself from the floor.  His knees were stiff and one of his feet had fallen asleep.  He sat down and watched as he rubbed the circulation back into it.  When he turned to Caleb, the man was smirking and his gaze was fixed on Molly’s crotch.  Molly looked down and realized that his neglected cock had stained his own boxers with a large wet patch of precum.

“Um, can I see?” Caleb asked.

“Can you see what?” Molly replied, coyly.

“Let me see your cock,” Caleb said, his voice deep and husky as he looked into Molly’s eyes for permission.  When Molly nodded, Caleb pulled the waistband down just enough for Molly’s cock to spring out.  It was Caleb’s turn to shudder upon seeing the pointed purple length in person.

“Mm, like what you see?” Molly purred, spreading his knees apart.

“You were not kidding about the ridges…” Caleb mumbled, squeezing Molly’s cock and humming when the flared ridges moved under his fingers.

“I knew you hadn’t seen a tiefling cock before,” Molly teased, smiling warmly as Caleb played with his cock.  Caleb went at his own pace, pressing his fingers into the various dips and bumps while listening carefully for Molly’s breathy reactions.  Caleb looked so intrigued, so innocent, and Molly wanted to scoop him up and take him to bed.

“Shall we go somewhere more comfortable?” Caleb suggested as if he had read Molly’s mind.  Caleb stood and lifted his arms over his head, groaning as he stretched his back.  Molly tucked himself back into his pants and wrapped his arms around Caleb’s waist.  When Caleb hugged back, Molly kissed him sweetly.  He poured his emotions into the kiss, wishing somehow that Caleb could know how Molly felt without having to say a word.  Molly couldn’t say for certain that he loved Caleb yet, but knew that he eventually could.

“Lead the way, handsome,” Molly said, letting Caleb go.  Caleb grabbed Molly’s hand and smiled all the way to the bedroom.  When Molly glanced down at Caleb’s legs, he shivered in excitement when he saw fresh slick trickling down his thighs.

Caleb didn’t hesitate to push Molly onto the bed.  The bed was indeed small, but Molly sank into the comfortable mattress and sighed as he felt the tension leaving his neck and shoulders.

“I want these off,” Caleb said, going for Molly’s pants and underwear.  Molly lifted his hips to help Caleb remove them.  He grinned up at Caleb as the man looked him over.  Molly’s hard cock laid against his thigh, dripping precum on his purple skin.

“Are you going to stare at me all night, darling?  I know I’m a work of art, but—”

“Oh, shut up,” Caleb said, rolling his eyes.  “Let me admire you before I wreck you, _ja?_ ”

Molly gasped and shut his mouth, letting Caleb circle the bed before crawling on top of Molly.  He sat on Molly’s thighs and began stroking Molly’s cock, using Caleb’s own slick as lubrication.

Caleb hummed.  “I want this in me,” he said.  “I want to know what your ridges feel like inside my tight cunt.  Would you like that, Molly? Will you fuck me?”

“Anything you want, darling,” Molly purred, feeling his cock throb in Caleb’s hands.  He smoothed his palms over Caleb’s thighs and let his hands traveled upwards, moving under Caleb’s shirt so he could run his hands up Caleb’s sides.  “Undress for me, Caleb?”

“ _Ja,_ um, only if you do the same,” Caleb said, blushing.

Molly sat up and unbuttoned his shirt while Caleb pulled his sweater and undershirt over his head.  They stared at each other for a while, dumbstruck by each other’s beauty.  Molly realized that Caleb’s small frame had been covered by baggy sweaters and his large coat, but even though his chest was not as broad as most men’s, he still looked very masculine.  He had a dusting of chest hair that thickened as Molly’s eyes traveled down Caleb’s happy trail.  Molly saw Caleb doing the same, dragging his eyes down Molly’s body and stopping to admire the tiefling’s tattoos.

“You are so hot, Molly,” Caleb whispered, trailing both hands down Molly’s subtly toned torso.

“I’m nothing compared to you,” Molly replied, petting Caleb’s fuzzy tummy.  He grazed his fingers over Caleb’s clit before taking his hand away. “What are you in the mood for, sweetheart?  Do you want to be on your back? Do you want to ride me?”

“Ah, both of those things sound great,” Caleb said.  He thought for a moment before continuing, “I think I would like you to be on top, though.”

“Okay,” Molly said.  He shifted to make room for Caleb to lie down, then sat between Caleb’s legs.  “Mm, already wet again,” he teased, taking his cock and rubbing the head between Caleb’s slit.  Molly shuddered when he saw the thick trail of cum connecting his length to Caleb’s cunt.

“I cannot help it,” Caleb whined.  “I have a very attractive and very naked man in my bed.”

“Oh, so this is my fault?”  Molly smirked and gathered slick on his fingers, watching it spread between them before sucking them into his mouth.

“ _Ja,_ ” Caleb replied.  “And it will only get worse the more you make me wait.”

“Hmm, I like a messy boy,” Molly said.  He held himself and rubbed the dick through Caleb’s lips as Caleb gripped the sheets.  Precum was dribbling from Molly’s slit; he was so close to Caleb’s pussy, but oh, Molly loved to tease.  

“You will make me cum again if you keep doing that,” Caleb warned as he rolled his hips, desperate for contact.

“What’s your daily record?” Molly asked, curiously.

Caleb paused his movements.  “Um, I do not know.”

“Aww, come on, Caleb.  Don’t be shy.”

“ _Nein,_ I mean, I do not know because I, ah, lost count.”

Molly’s cock twitched as he imagined Caleb, lying in bed, giving himself orgasms until he was too far gone to count anymore.

“I’ll help you count,” Molly offered, bracing himself with one hand beside Caleb’s head and fucking Caleb’s slit.  “You already had one. Now, get ready for number two.”

Caleb grabbed Molly’s hips and picked his own rhythm, tugging Molly forward and angling his own hips up so the ridges would bump his clit before sliding back between his slit.  His shallow panting turned to deep gasps as he approached his orgasm, and with the help of Molly’s hips grinding down to meet his own, Caleb came with a shudder.  Molly’s thighs began to tremble once he saw Caleb cum, impairing his accuracy as he continued to rub against his partner.  His cock took a dive and the tip accidentally slid into Caleb’s entrance.

“Stop!  Molly, stop, stop, stop,” Caleb begged and Molly pulled out immediately.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.  Did I hurt you?”

“ _Nein_....” Caleb mumbled, turning his head to the side and biting his quivering bottom lip.  “Um, Molly?”

“What is it, Caleb?”

“Um, I did not mention it because I thought I would be okay, but….I have not had anyone, um….inside me before.”

Molly raised an eyebrow.  “Really? I never would’ve guessed.  You talk about it so eloquently, I just assumed….”  Molly shook his head. “No, that doesn’t matter.  I’m sorry, Caleb.”

“I have used toys before, so that is not the problem,” Caleb explained.  “But to have a real person inside me, it is, um….I am just nervous.”

“You’re allowed to be nervous, sweetheart,” Molly assured him, smiling.  His cock rested on Caleb’s abdomen, preventing any more intrusions.

Caleb whimpered.  “I feel stupid now.  After I transitioned, I was, um, never interested in having real sex.  I am okay with it now, but I suppose I am inexperienced for my age.”

“That’s okay, Caleb, trust me.  You don’t need a reason, but you have a good one.  Sex should be fun, not something you force yourself to do for experience.”

“Thank you, Molly.  I still want you to fuck me, though,” Caleb said, returning his gaze to Molly.  “Just go slowly, _ja?_ ”

“Of course.  If you say wait, I’ll stop moving.  If you say stop, I’ll pull out.  Can you do that, sweetheart?”

“ _Ja,_ that sounds good,” Caleb said, taking a deep, relaxing breath.

Molly shuffled backwards and parted Caleb’s legs.  “I’m going to open you up a little more, okay?” he said, and put two fingers inside Caleb’s pussy.  He quickly added a third and twisted them around to stretch Caleb as gently as he could.  “One more,” Molly said, and slowly worked a fourth finger inside.

“Tight,” grunted Caleb.

“I know, sweetheart.  I need to get you ready for my cock, okay?”

“Okay.  It feels— _oh_ —kind of good.  Mmm...”

After a bit of preparing, Molly removed his fingers.  He leaned down to kiss Caleb and was met with an eager tongue.  Caleb’s hands rested on Molly’s back, holding him there and occasionally dancing fingers down his spine.  The simple gesture made Molly feel wanted in a way that he did not know he was missing until that moment, and he could not help but whine against Caleb’s lips.

Molly kissed down Caleb’s jaw, swept his tongue over Caleb’s throat and continued downwards, eventually reaching his chest.  Molly pressed gentle kisses along the horizontal scars under Caleb’s nipples, the scars from a battle that Caleb had won triumphantly against a body he once hated.  Molly felt that it was best not to say anything, but he was proud of Caleb for being brave enough to rebuild a body that he felt comfortable in.

“Molly,” Caleb whispered, bringing Molly out of his head.  “I am ready, if you are.”

Molly could not tell if Caleb was directing him away from the scars or if Caleb was truly desperate.  He would ask before touching the scars again later, but for now, Molly guided his cock to Caleb’s entrance.

“Gonna push in now,” Molly said.  Caleb took the head of Molly’s cock without trouble.  “More?” Molly asked.

“ _Ja, ja,_ more,” Caleb encouraged, digging his fingers into Molly’s shoulders.  Molly pushed into Caleb’s tight cunt, groaning as it squeezed his dick.  He watched Caleb’s face for any sign of discomfort, but Caleb just smiled.

“Gonna move now,” Molly said.  He pulled almost all the way out before pushing back in, up to half his length.  He repeated the motion a few more times and noticed that Caleb’s eyes had closed and his smiling mouth hung open.

“More,” Caleb demanded.

Molly was fucking ecstatic.  Caleb was so calm, and was taking him so easily.  Molly pushed his entire length in and nearly toppled over when Caleb’s cunt contracted around him.  Molly was so worked up that it took him a moment to adjust, knowing that if he started fucking Caleb properly, he would last about five seconds.

“ _Scheisse,_ your cock is big,” Caleb groaned.  “I am so full, Molly, y-you feel so good inside me, ah, fuck....”

“Yeah?  You like being filled up, Caleb?” Molly panted.  “Just wait til I move. I’m gonna ruin you, love.”

Caleb suddenly threw his legs around Molly’s waist, forcing Molly even deeper inside.  “ _Ja,_ please, ruin me,” Caleb begged.  “Come on, Mollymauk. Fuck me.”

“Yes, sir,” Molly huffed.  He pulled out halfway only to push back in and make Caleb whimper.  He did it again and again until he had established a rhythm that had Caleb babbling nonsense in German.

“ _Ach, komm schon!_  Fuck me, _schneller, schneller werden!_ ” Caleb begged.  Molly did not understand the words, but Caleb’s message was clear.

“What happened to taking it easy?” Molly teased, but he picked up the pace and began fucking Caleb with everything he had.  The bed rocked below them; if Caleb had neighbors, they were dead to Molly.

“Oh, _scheisse_!  Molly!” Caleb cried, clinging to Molly as he took every inch of the tiefling’s cock.  Caleb moaned loudest when the ridges at the base of Molly’s cock caught on the sensitive rim of his pussy.  The feeling of Celeb squeezing his dick combined with the man’s delicious sounds nearly pushed Molly over the edge.  The way Caleb shook and squirmed let Molly know that Caleb was close, too.

“Gonna cum,” Molly warned.  “Where do you want it?”

“Inside,” Caleb gasped.

“A-are you sure?” Molly asked, taken aback.

“Do it!  I want to be filled with your cum, Mollymauk.  F-fucking….paint my insides with your—your cum.”

Caleb’s filthy mouth was what broke the dam.  Molly tensed up as he came, buried as deep as he could go.

“Fuck, Colby!” Molly cried.  He felt his hot cum fill the space around his cock and, by the look on Caleb’s face, he could feel it, too.  Caleb’s hand flew to his clit and after a few rough strokes, Caleb came with a high-pitched whine.  He squeezed around Molly’s dick, milking Molly of whatever he had left.  Trembling and panting in unison, Caleb went limp and Molly collapsed on top of him.  Molly felt their combined cum trickling down his balls and he was certain there would be a wet spot on the bed when they were able to move again.

“ _Was_ ….what did you—did you just call me Colby?” Caleb murmured when he was able to speak again.  He shoved at Molly’s chest until Molly rolled off Caleb, onto his side.

“Shit,” Molly hissed.  “Did I really?”

“ _Ja_ ,” Caleb confirmed, an unamused look on his face.  “Who am I, Molly?”

“Well....” Molly worried his lip between his teeth before answering.  “I was hoping you would be my boyfriend.” He blushed deeply as soon as he said it.  Fuck, what if it was too soon? What if Caleb said no? What if Caleb was actually mad that Molly had called him by the wrong name?

Caleb stared blankly for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face in his pillow.  “Oh, gods,” he groaned.  “You are too much, Mollymauk.”

Molly watched him curiously.  “Is that….a no?”

“ _Nein_ ,” Caleb said.  Upon seeing the disappointment in Molly’s eyes, he quickly added, “I mean, _nein,_ it is not a no.  It is a yes, or a _ja._  I want you to be my, ah, boyfriend as well.”  He reached out to stroke Molly’s hair.  “Um, that would make me very happy, Molly.”

Molly grabbed Caleb’s face and kissed him hard.  They both giggled shamelessly while they rolled around in bed, eventually finding a comfortable position with Molly lying on his back and Caleb curled up against his side.

“Why do you want to date me?” Caleb asked.

“Why wouldn’t I want to date you?” Molly countered, as it should have been obvious.  “You’re kind, patient, and fucking adorable.  I like being around you. Even in the hospital, being with you was comforting.  And you took care of me, checked up on me….Caleb, you’re a great friend, and a fantastic lover.”

Caleb blushed hard and fidgeted, unused to the praise.  “Um, you are kind and patient as well.  You might be dramatic and showy, but underneath all that is a sweet man with a good heart.  You do not mind that I have phone sex with strangers for money.  I thought that would be a dealbreaker for anyone. And I never, ever thought I would find someone as witty and handsome as you through the service.”

Molly’s tail swayed happily beside him.  “I’m grateful that I found you again,” he said.  “I thought high school would be the last time, but you kept showing up in my life.  I don’t know if I believe in fate, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to get to know you.  Maybe I should start believing, yeah?”

Caleb shrugged.  “The universe is chaotic, Molly.  I think we were both in the right place at the right time.”

“Chaotic, huh?” Molly wondered.  “Then perhaps chaos picks favorites.”

“Perhaps,” Caleb repeated.  He smushed his face against Molly’s shoulder and sighed deeply, allowing Molly to sneak an arm around and hug him close.

“That was three, by the way,” Molly said.

“Three what?”  Caleb looked confused.

“Orgasms.  I told you I would keep count.”

“Ah, well, thank you for helping me count to three,” Caleb said, smirking.  They both laughed, then fell into a comfortable silence.

“I never asked, but I can stay over tonight, right?” Molly asked.  They were both still sticky with cum, and he wondered if he should hop in the shower before driving home.

“What?  Of course you can,” said Caleb, laughing.  “I would not kick you out at this hour.  Besides, we have nowhere to be in the morning, _ja?_  I am not done with you yet, Mollymauk.”

“Oooh, I like the sound of that.”  Molly shivered from either anticipation or the cold.  “Move so I can get the blankets—I’m starting to freeze.”

“Tieflings have a body temperature of 102…” Caleb mumbled, shuffling around so he could climb under the sheets.

“Shush,” Molly groaned as he did the same.  “Let me have an excuse to cuddle you.”

“You do not need an excuse,” Caleb said.  “The size of this bed will force us to cuddle even if neither of us wanted to.”

“I’m glad,” Molly said, “because I plan to hold you all night.”

“Mm, that sounds like a good plan,” Caleb murmured, snuggling into Molly’s chest as Molly wrapped his arms around Caleb.

“Good night, Caleb.”

“ _Guten nacht,_ Molly.”

* * *

Once Molly was cleared by the doctor to go back to work, he was grateful for the sense of normalcy that he felt when he was rehearsing.  They had begun working on a new play as soon as Molly returned to play the starring role.  He had missed the exhaustion he felt after a job well done, and now found that sleep came much easier after talking to Caleb on the phone, especially when their innocent flirting lead to something steamier.

Molly found himself spending more and more time at Caleb’s apartment, cuddling with Caleb or playing with Frumpkin, who had warmed up to Molly since his first visit.  Caleb had set strict boundaries around when Molly could come over, explaining that Molly was too much of a distraction while Caleb was grading papers or preparing for the next day’s lesson.  Their goodbye kisses always lasted too long, though, and there was a period of loneliness whenever Molly returned to his apartment after spending the weekend at Caleb’s, but he knew that it would quickly pass and that the time he got to spend with Caleb was worth it.

Molly kept his promise to Jester and continued therapy, even though most of his sessions consisted of Molly talking about all the wonderful things in his life as Dr. Newton nodded and occasionally wrote something on a clipboard.  If Molly always scheduled his appointments on days he knew Caleb was working in the office, it was a coincidence.  And even if it wasn’t, no one questioned it.  They would pretend not to know each other, but Molly would feel a spark of excitement when their eyes met on his way out the door.

Jester had given Molly an earful when he finally called after not texting for a few days, but she perked up and forgave him as soon as he told her that he had been preoccupied by his boyfriend.  It felt great to actually say it to another person, as if sharing his secret validated the fact that he was truly dating Caleb Widogast.

It was nearing the end of March when Molly’s last feelings of displacement melted away with the winter’s snow.  Jester didn’t even have to beg him to visit over the summer; Molly missed his friends dearly and now that he had built a life for himself in Chicago, traveling to the west coast felt more like going on a vacation than going back to a home that he would once again have to leave behind.  He daydreamed about taking Caleb with him, but when he reached for his phone, he decided that it should be something they would talk about the next time he saw Caleb in person.

Molly barely slept that night, thinking about how good it would feel to be around all of his favorite people all at once.  It might be difficult to get time off from work in the middle of the summer, but Molly believed it would work out—it always had.

 


End file.
